Balanced Attack Leads Wolves to Regional Finals

The “triangle-and-two” defense isn’t new to the game of basketball. But seldom is it implemented with the goal of shutting down only one player.

In the IHSA Class 4A semifinals of the Niles West regional, Maine East came out with a permanent double team on Niles West’s Jewell Loyd. If their objective was to hold Loyd in check, the Blue Demons succeeded as Niles West’s junior guard scored only six points in the first half.

But her teammates did most of the damage, putting up 33 points before halftime and pushing the Wolves to a 39-11 lead at the intermission. Niles West cruised from there and finished with an easy 60-25 victory.

“We’ve really gotten used to [gimmick defenses], especially at the end of the season,” Niles West guard Nicole Moy said. “There are more specific plays we run. We know that everyone of us has to step up, not just Jewell, and this just shows that if every one of us scores points we can pull out with a lead like that.”

Loyd finished with only two assists, but by drawing two defenders on every possession, she indirectly contributed on most of Niles West’s points. Her impact was also felt on the defensive end. Loyd had a number of steals and three emphatic blocks for the Lady Wolves.    

Niles West forced Maine East into double-digit turnovers in the first quarter by using an active full-court press. They consistently trapped Maine East’s guards in the corner and were aggressive in going for steals.

For the first half, Maine East converted only five shots from the field.

“I think this whole season we’ve been working on our press and that’s just how to get other teams out of their offensive flow,” Moy said.

Continuing their full-court press, Niles West went on a quick 8-0 run to start the third quarter. Loyd buried a three-pointer with less than four minutes to go and Konsewicz pulled Loyd and the rest of the starters for the fourth quarter.

For the game Loyd was 4-for-7 from the field and had 11 points.

“[Loyd] is very unselfish and she has that keen sense of when to put the team on her back and carry us,” Niles West coach Tony Konsewicz said. “She felt at a pretty good comfortable level to keep involving her teammates tonight.”

Freshman Dashae Shumate led Niles West with 12 points. Moy finished with 11. Angela Jones had eight points to lead Maine East.

Niles West will host New Trier in the regional finals on Thursday night. The Trevians defeated Maine West, 59-29, in the second semi-final game at Niles West.

 The CSL South rivals split a pair of games during the regular season with the away team winning each matchup.  

“I told people all along that we’ll be better at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year,” Konsewicz said. “We still have a little Jekyll and Hyde in us, but we’re starting to peak at the right time.”