Girls Basketball: Jewell Loyd lifts Niles West over Niles North

Updated: December 3, 2011 11:47PM

Niles West’s Jewell Loyd was held to just 13 first-half points against crosstown rival Niles North on Saturday night and the Wolves trailed 26-17 at the intermission.

Loyd turned things around in the second-half, scoring 13 points apiece in the third and fourth quarter while guiding Niles West to a 49-38 home victory in Skokie.

“I got way too frustrated and down on myself in the first-half, I started to lose focus,” Loyd explained. “I knew I had to get my team going, I think I came out and hit a jump shot and I got fired up. I knew I had to push and push.”

The Notre Dame bound senior led all scorers with a season-high 39 points, including 11 of 12 from the charity stripe, while also grabbing a game-high 19 rebounds. She made her presence felt on both ends of the court, blocking five Vikings’ shot attempts.

Molly Kleppin and Dashae Shumate were the only other players to score for Niles West (9-0), as the duo collected five points each, including three of four free throws by Kleppin in the closing minutes to help seal the victory.

Loyd scored all of the Wolves points in the third quarter, and continued that stretch for over three minutes into the final stanza, until Shumate knocked down a free throw.

Niles North (2-6) stuck a defender on Loyd at all times and held the lead at the end of the first and second quarters.

Alissa Hirsh helped the Vikings take command early, as she knocked down four shots in the first-half and converted five of six attempts from the line. She added a three-pointer in the third quarter to tie the game at 30-30, and finished with a team high 20 points.

Mariyah Ranger added 12 points for the Vikings.

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