Senior guard Peri Sweeney took a detour to the bench in the first half Friday night for Geneva.
That’s what happens when you pick up your third foul only 2:06 into the game. It also meant Sweeney was stuck on the bench for the rest of the first quarter and the entire second quarter.
“I was very disappointed,” she said.
Finally released from the bench, Sweeney made up for lost time with five 3-pointers in the second half to lift the Vikings to a 64-52 win over host Hampshire in the Doreen Zierer Turkey Tournament.
Sweeney scored 16 points for Geneva (1-2), all in the second half, while Bridget Hecker paced the Vikings with 17 points and nine rebounds. Keira McCann added 12 points.
Mikala Amegasse led all scorers with 19 points for Hampshire (0-2). Peyton McCarthy added 13 points and Chloe Van Horn had 10.
Sweeney is the top returnee for Geneva, which graduated a ton of talent. The Vikings then had to keep things afloat Friday with Sweeney on the bench for the majority of the first half.
Once the second half started, though, Sweeney got to work. She hit three straight threes to open up a 42-34 lead in the third before picking up her fourth foul and sitting the final 3:13 of the quarter.
“I took my chance when I was out there,” Sweeney said. “I feel like our offense is able to figure it out pretty easily and they got me open a bunch.
“I just took my chances, and I was happy to make up for the time that I lost.”
That torrid second half showed just how dangerous Sweeney can be, according to Geneva coach Sarah Meadows.
“She can get hot real quick, and she was mad,” Meadows said. “I like mad Peri.”
Meadows expects Sweeney, who’s in her third varsity season, to emerge as the team’s leader.
“We talk to her about being our person,” Meadows said. “I think she wants that. She knew she wasted a lot of time in the first half. She got after it in the second half.”
Sweeney learned a lot as a role player the past two winters. Now, she’s ready to impart her wisdom on her younger teammates.
“I played varsity as a sophomore and I was scared to death,” Sweeney said. “They’re probably scared, too. I really try to reach out to them and make sure they’re comfortable on the team.
“We lost a lot of seniors. Since I was returning, I had to fill a spot I’ve never had to do before. I just try to be a leader for the team. We’re still working on it, but I’ve tried to bring everyone together.”
McCarthy scored Hampshire’s final seven points of the first half to cut the deficit to 29-24. Even though the Vikings gained separation in the second half, the positives were pretty clear.
“We saw a lot of good things out there,” Hampshire coach Eric Samuelson said. “If you’re going to lose, don’t lose the lesson. I hate losing, but we saw things that are easy to fix.”
There are a lot of new faces for Geneva this season, but Meadows’ expectations never change.
The Vikings look to reload every season. And after a sluggish first two games facing elite competition, Meadows was happy Friday night with Sweeney and her team’s progress.
“I think she learned from the kids before her and knows who we are and what we do and is trying to set the pace,” Meadows said of Sweeney. “It never changes. There are no surprises. Never will anybody say that a Geneva girls basketball team doesn’t play with heart and hustle and effort.
“It’s a process, and I know that. It is a brand-new team, but we’re getting there.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
