Whips struggle, win

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ROCHELLE – Hampshire’s girls basketball team was expected to play as one Wednesday night.

Before the Whip-Purs’ game against Sycamore in an IHSA Class 3A Rochelle Regional semifinal, Hampshire coach Sue Ellett stressed that her team must focus on one possession, one basket, one free throw and one minute at a time.

It took the Whips more than one half to play the way their evening was scripted, but in the end it was teamwork that trumped scattered play early on.

Top-seeded Hampshire beat No. 5 Sycamore, 56-43, to reach the regional title game against No. 2 DeKalb at 7:30 p.m. today.

The Barbs beat No. 3 Rochelle in Wednesday’s other semifinal.

“The last words I said to them before we came out of the locker room, in essence, was that we had to play ... as one,” Ellett said. “In the postseason it is all about getting it done for 32 minutes and with this team, these seniors, when it comes to crunch time, they can pull through.”

Hampshire (27-1) did not start as well as it would have liked against a team the Whips beat, 66-19, in the Harlem Holiday Tournament during Christmas break.

Sycamore (15-13) did not play like 47-point underdogs, and it took the Whips longer than they expected to sustain a lead.

Sycamore led by two at halftime, thanks to an eight-point run in the middle of the second quarter.

“We knew it was coming, but it hit us a little earlier than we expected,” said junior forward Alex Dumoulin, who led all scorers with 19 points including a 9 for 9 performance from the free throw line.

“I think they wanted a little revenge and they did a good job all game of battling back.”

Sycamore continued to lead until the last few seconds of the third quarter after Ellett pulled out her signature strategy.

She slowed the Whips’ offense and amped up the defensive pressure, forcing some turnovers and allowing Hampshire time to settle.

The Whips led, 37-36, at the end of the third – their first lead since the 3-minute mark of the second quarter – and never looked back.

“If I feel like we’re moving forward, I’m fine, but if I feel like we’re spinning our wheels, we’ll change some things around,” Ellett said. “ ... These kids have the hearts of champions. There has never been a time when I have questioned their heart or their effort.”