Girls Basketball: Bartlett rolls past Glenbard West behind Haley Videckis

Updated: February 14, 2012 8:35PM

Leading scorer Haley Videckis stepped back Tuesday and calmly drilled a 23-foot three-pointer at the first-half buzzer for the highlight play of Bartlett’s opener in its own Class 4A regional Tuesday against Glenbard West.

However, the top-seeded Hawks’ 63-25 victory had been ensured long earlier by an attitude best displayed by 5-foot-10 guard Katie Gutzwiller during the team’s 18-6 first-quarter run. Gutzwiller’s five-rebound, six-point, one-steal first quarter against the taller Glenbard West front line seemed to set a tone that the rest of the Hawks followed in advancing to Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. championship game.

“She does the little things,” Bartlett coach Denise Sarna said about Gutzwiller. “That rebounding burst that she gives us, Katie can come in and shoot and put points on the board, but I loved her aggressiveness today on the offensive side, particularly on the rebounding.

“I thought she did a good job defensively, as well. Our entire defense played well today.”

The Hawks (26-1) did not shoot particularly well at 38 percent (23-for-60), but they did not come out flat when it would have been easy to do so against a Glenbard West team that needed to win a play-in game Monday to get into the semifinals.

“It’s been a long season in preparation for tonight and the next couple weeks, so we’re just going to come out for every game with intensity,” Videckis said.

Videckis led the way with 19 points and teammate Kristin Conniff had 12 points and six rebounds. Lisa Palmer collected six points and seven boards, while Gutzwiller had eight points and seven boards.

Bartlett outrebounded Glenbard West through three quarters prior to the benches clearing 34-18. Glenbard West was held to just 26 shots from the floor through three quarters, and forced into 22 turnovers during that time span.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Conniff in the second quarter propelled the game into a romp, giving the Hawks a 24-8 lead.

Bartlett not only got the easy win, but also got back injured guard Janessa Baker for the game. In the second half she displayed a quick burst of offense with seven points. Baker had been out since late January with a foot injury and missed the team’s only defeat, 58-45 at Waubonsie Valley Jan. 27.

“It’s great to see her back out there with that quickness,” Sarna said. “The kids who replaced her when she was out did a good job for us but we definitely will be able to use her.”

Glenbard West (11-17) brought a three-game winning streak into the contest, and was led by 6-foot junior Ellen Nighbor’s six points.

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