Smyth, Bengals pull away from Stars

Oak Forest has seven newcomers on its roster of 11 players, including four new starters. For the first 2 1/2 quarters Monday, the Bengals played like an inexperienced team.

Down the stretch, however, Oak Forest took over.

Kristyne Smyth scored 11 of her 21 points during a key third-quarter surge as the host Bengals rallied for a 58-42 nonconference win over Rich South Monday in the season opener for both teams.

“We had some jitters in the first half,” said Smyth, a senior and the team’s lone returning starter. “We needed to get going in the third quarter. I kind of like to be the leader and show the other girls how to do it. They all listen and they’re learning.”

Katie Swanson added 14 points for the Bengals, while Samm Hortsman scored eight and pulled down four rebounds.

Jasmine Collins led Rich South with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bengals had all kinds of problems handling Rich South’s pressure in the first half, committing 16 turnovers through the first 16 minutes.

After leading for most of the first half, Oak Forest saw the Stars take a 24-22 edge into the locker room when DeAsia Garrett banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 7-0 Rich South run.

“At the half, we just decided we needed to calm down a bit,” Oak Forest coach Steve Schanz said.

The Bengals looked like a different team in the second half. After Rich South extended the lead to 32-26, Oak Forest closed the third quarter on a 17-2 run and put the Stars away. Rich South never got within nine points in the final period.

Smyth, who also had six rebounds in the game, scored the final eight points of the spurt, all in a 20-second span that included a three-point play.

“(Smyth) is our only captain for a reason,” Schanz said. “She didn’t play too well against Rich South last year and I knew she wanted a little payback. She’s a top-tier player in the whole state when she gets going.”

Smyth and Swanson credited the Bengals’ bench for keeping the team afloat through the first-half sloppiness. Colleen Emmett was especially effective as a reserve, scoring all five of her points in first half.

“The second team did a great job,” Swanson said. “We knew (the starters) had to step it up in the second half.”

Oak Forest finished with 28 turnovers, but forced the Stars into 24.

Emily Naegele had five points and eight rebounds for the Bengals. Kiela Garner (five rebounds) and Danielle Pertiller scored six points each for Rich South.