Girls Basketball: Gators still looking for some respect

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Updated: March 3, 2012 8:30AM

After securing a pair of regional championships, the Guerin girls basketball team set its sights even higher for the 2011-12 season. The Gators made a couple of those strides this week. They won twice, running their winning streak to nine games, and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division title while also securing the top seed in the Fenton Sectional.

“It’s nice that somebody recognizes us as the No. 1 seed rather than trying to figure out who we’ve played and showing disrespect to those other teams,” said Guerin head coach Johnnie Gage. “Who do we have to play, the Chicago Sky to get noticed? If so, then who are Wheaton Academy, Marian Central, Aurora Christian, Fenton, Ridgewood, and Elmwood Park? They’re not play-in schools. We might not be a Top 25, but we’re at least a 26 or 27.”

Guerin (22-3, 7-1) avenged the only conference defeat of the season on Saturday afternoon, taking down Wheaton Academy 46-38. Despite being sick with the flu, senior Kalie DiNunno racked up 25 points to lead all scorers. She scored seven points in the first and fourth quarters to help the Gators to a small lead after one and regain the lead and pull away in the fourth as she played the entire 32 minutes.

“Kalie has been sick the past couple days, and there was a question if she would be able to play against Wheaton Academy,” Gage said. “I told her to drink plenty of Gatorade, and we had lots of fluids for her during the game. I asked her if she needed a breather, and she told me ‘no,’ realizing that this game could decide the conference. It’s her third year in this conference, and she’s been all-conference twice, but she’s never won it. My hat comes off to a person that gets up out of her sickbed and plays in a game and scores 25.”

Sophomore Sara Brodner had a tough start with just two points in the first quarter, but she came up big in the fourth, scoring eight. Fellow sophomore Becky Bartnicki scored eight points in the game and classmate Ketyra Saunders had just four points but had a key basket to stop a Wheaton Academy run later in the game.

“Our defense has been coming together,” Becky Bartnicki said. “We’re pressing and it’s working well, and we’re getting a lot of points off of that. We’re working well together, and that’s from a lot of communication.”

DiNunno led the way on Jan. 24, besting St. Francis 44-38. DiNunno helped the Gators seize control of the game early with eight of her team-high 20 points in the first quarter. Guerin led 17-6 after the opening eight minutes. She put up another seven in the third to help build a 14-point Gators’ lead, heading into the fourth quarter. She’s found her outside shot again, hitting eight three-pointers in the past two games after making just one in the previous three.

Jackie Bartnicki scored seven of her 10 points in the fourth quarter. Brodner had six points while Becky Bartnicki scored five. Sophomore Kietta Saunders had no points, but has played some of her best ball of the season at point guard. Her knee hasn’t been giving her trouble, and she’s been showing why she’s been given the nickname “Magic” with some of her great passing.

“This team is built from classy warriors,” Gage said. “Normally once a player’s time is decreased or position jeopardized, I have to go through all kinds of red tape, attitude, pouting, parents being mad at me, the dog biting me, and the cat scratching me, but not this team.”

The top-seeded Gators open the playoffs at Elmwood Park on Feb. 15, and face the winner between Jones and Dunbar in the semifinal. They could be on a collision course with Elmwood Park for the third straight year should they get through to the regional final on Feb. 16.