When the shots aren’t falling for St. Charles East, junior guard Addie Schilb understands that she needs to put her head down and make something happen.
That was the case Tuesday night as the Saints went 3-for-17 from the free-throw line and 1-for-14 from 3-point range. For Schilb, the message came through loud and clear.
“Our shots weren’t going in,” she said. “Our free throws weren’t hitting. I knew it was important to get to the basket. I knew there wouldn’t be great shots, so I had to make some for myself.”
Schilb kept the host Saints afloat in the Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional semifinals, scoring a team-high 12 points. Glenbard West stuck around, though, and pulled off a 35-32 win in overtime.
Schilb added eight rebounds for St. Charles East (26-7). Brooklyn Schilb scored eight points and Akron recruit Corrine Reed chipped in with seven.
Makenna Yeager, fresh off a broken hand, led all scorers with 14 points for Glenbard West (22-12), which advanced to Thursday’s 7 p.m. sectional final. Ellie Noble grabbed 14 rebounds.
The Saints trailed 17-15 early in the third quarter when Addie Schilb got going. They missed their first seven shots of the second half before she scored three straight layups for a 23-19 lead.
“We needed the aggressiveness,” St. Charles East coach Katie Claussner said. “We needed that energy. Unfortunately, we couldn’t buy a basket.”
Claussner wasn’t surprised that her toughest player kept the Saints in the game.
“Her defense is spectacular,” Claussner said. “Addie is just a hustle player, and we’re very fortunate that we get to have her back next year.”
Schilb gains satisfaction from the toughness she displayed during Tuesday’s game.
“I pride myself on being aggressive on defense and going after every rebound because every rebound is important,” Schilb said. “I get more opportunities as they play good defense.”
After leading 25-21 entering the fourth quarter, however, the Saints were held to seven points.
Glenbard West adjusted defensively and started shutting down the driving lanes that Schilb was using to get to the basket.
“I think everyone refocused at halftime and said, ‘We have this game,’” Yeager said. “We just had to play as strong as we could on the defensive end. The defense led to our offense.”
Despite that mindset, Reed’s 3-pointer with 4:14 left in the fourth gave St. Charles East a 32-27 lead. The Saints had a potential breakaway layup, but the ball tipped off a player for a turnover.
Glenbard West then scored the final five points of regulation to force overtime. The Saints were held scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting in OT.
Afterward, Addie Schilb lamented the fact that a team that averages over 50 points a game had their roughest offensive effort of the season in the sectional semifinal.
“It stinks that it was such a low-scoring game,” Schilb said. “It was so close. There were so many opportunities. You think, ‘If I hit one more shot.’ But the clock ended, and that’s that.”
Claussner tried to focus on the positives after the loss.
The Saints won their first-ever conference title, tied the program record for wins and also won back-to-back regional championships for the first time in nearly two decades.
“That’s what we tried to tell the girls in the locker room,” Claussner said. “Yes, this is not the outcome we wanted. We weren’t expecting it. All in all, fantastic season, but this feels like a little stain on that.
“The girls came out to play every single day.”
That’s what stood out as well to Schilb, who she tried to remain positive after the game.
“I’m really proud of this team,” she said. “This is probably my favorite team I’ve been on.
“We put everything out there. I’m just happy it happened.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
