Girls Basketball: Octavia Crump keys Z-B rout of Lincoln Park

Updated: January 15, 2012 8:04PM

A year after its state runner-up finish to Bolingbrook in the Class 4A state championship, Zion-Benton is experiencing the joys and sometimes hardships of living up to the heightened expectations.

“Everything we’ve done this year has been a challenge,” senior forward Octavia Crump said. “Nothing has come easy. Every game it feels like it’s been us against everybody.”

On Sunday afternoon at the MLK Dream Classic at Young, the Zee-Bees offered prime lessons in the ups and downs. They scored the game’s first 11 points and then watched Lincoln Park stage a massive rally.

“We got too comfortable with the lead,” Crump said.

The Illinois State recruit helped engineer a 17-4 run to start the third quarter that the Zee-Bees utilized for a 64-43 victory over the Lions.

Lincoln Park senior guard Jazmine Benitez drilled a jumper from the right wing as time expired in the first half that forged a 24-all tie at the break.

Crump scored 10 of her team-best 15 points in the second half for the Zee-Bees (13-5). During one burst, she scored four points off a steal and offensive rebound. On the second goal, she was fouled. She missed the free throw though a hustling Morgan Franklin scored off the loose ball.

Lincoln Park (10-6) turned the ball over seven times in the quarter. “We knew we had to come out pressure their guards because in the first half they were releasing against us,” Crump said. “They weren’t really able to deal with the pressure, so we just kept it up.”

Crump also contributed nine rebounds and four steals. The team’s imposing “twin towers,” Shaquence Robinson and Aaliyah Smith, scored 11 points each. Robinson scored all of her points in the second half. She added eight rebounds.

Junior sharpshooter Kaitlyn Stabenow scored nine of her 11 points in the first half.

Lincoln Park star junior guard Jasmine Williams scored nine of her game-high 16 points in the second half. Her driving basket with just under three minutes to play marked the Lions’ first basket of the second half.

“We just allowed way too many second chance opportunities for them, and that was the game,” Williams said. “We turned it over a couple of times and they took advantage.”

Senior guard Diamond Houston scored nine points. Amber Witherspoon, a highly-promising 6-4 sophomore, contributed seven points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.

“Their big two girls put a body on our big [Witherspoon], and that made a big difference,” Williams said.

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