Kokenis helps Devils KO North Stars

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

When push came to shove, Hinsdale Central’s Toni Kokenis pushed the hardest.

Kokenis scored nine unanswered points after visiting St. Charles North had taken a brief 26-25 lead in the third quarter to lead No. 6 Hinsdale Central (17-0) to a 47-36 victory Saturday.

Kokenis finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“She knows when it’s time to go,” Hinsdale Central coach Morgan Kasperek said.

Kokenis’ spree ended a string of 12 straight points by St. Charles North (11-5), which trailed 25-14 with 1:40 remaining in the first half.

“We came out a little slow in the second half,” Kokenis said. “Then we started moving the ball better and playing better defense. St. Charles North was a great team to play against. We have a tough January coming up.”

Six-foot-4 Michigan State recruit Kelsey Smith led the North Stars with 10 points, including a basket that capped the 12-0 run with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter. But St. Charles North did not score again for more than nine minutes.

Adabelle Ekechukwu added 10 points and six rebounds for the Red Devils. Alex Messacar added eight points for St. Charles North.

“There’s not a game where Kokenis is not a great player,” St. Charles North coach Katie Sauber said. “We had some unforced turnovers and Kelsey’s shots underneath weren’t falling. That turned out to be the difference in the game.

“On a different night, there might be a different outcome.”