Girls Basketball: Evanston edges New Trier

Updated: January 6, 2012 9:16PM

Alecia Cooley hopes Evanston has bigger wins later this season, but the 6-foot-2 junior knows Friday’s 46-44 victory over New Trier in Winnetka will be up there on the list. 

Cooley scored 17 points, and her free throw with 22.6 seconds to go in the game gave the Wildkits a three-point cushion over the No. 12-ranked Trevians. Sierra Clayborn added another free throw for a four-point lead before Northwestern-bound Maggie Lyon made it interesting with a basket with 8.4 seconds to play. 

Although Seara Clayborn missed two free throws on the other end, Evanston was able to disrupt Lyon enough to force a miss at the buzzer. 

“This is our best win so far,” Cooley said. “This was a statement game for us.”

Evanston (10-8 overall, 2-3 CSL South) avenged a 65-47 loss to New Trier (12-4, 2-3) last month at Dundee-Crown’s tournament.

“We knew what to expect and what to do this time,” Cooley said.

New Trier led 23-21 at the half, but Evanston held Lyon scoreless in the third quarter. The Wildkits used a late 7-0 run to go into the fourth up 38-32.

Cooley’s two free throws increased Evanston’s lead to as many as eight early in the fourth, but New Trier wasn’t ready to go away.

Lyon started a 6-0 run to leave the score 42-40 with 2:32 remaining in regulation. Jessica Blackwell’s free throws with 1:15 to play got New Trier as close as one, but the Trevians couldn’t come up with the clutch basket. 

Lyon led New Trier with 18 points. Evanston’s Sinclair Cunningham added 15 points, including nine in the decisive third quarter.

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