Millard North’s nine-game winning streak has established the Mustang girls basketball team as the No. 1 team right now in the volatile and wide-open Class A field.
The fact that No. 9 Lincoln Northeast was within a possession of the Mustangs with one minute to play Thursday night at Ed Johnson Gym puts the Rockets solidly in the mix heading down the stretch.
Northeast cut a 16-point third quarter deficit to three before Lauren West hit 3 of 4 free throws in the final 50 seconds to preserve a 60-55 Mustangs victory.
“I like where we’re at right now heading into districts,†Northeast coach Steve Bartek said after the Rockets’ (13-6) third game against a top-10 foe in seven days with wins over No. 4 Fremont and No. 10 Omaha Benson earlier. “To take the No. 1 team down to the wire shows that we’re right there.â€
Millard North (16-3) showed in the third quarter what its potential is when hitting on all cylinders. A 19-6 spurt to start the second half expanded a 30-27 halftime edge to 49-33 with 2:42 left in the third quarter after two straight three-pointers from Asia Bryant off the bench.
Six different Mustangs scored in the period as they hurt the Rockets both inside and outside during the burst.
“The keys were we were getting stops on the defensive end and making shots on the offensive end,†Millard North coach David Diehl said. “Basketball is easy when you play that way.â€
Before fouling out with 39 seconds left, 5-foot-8 junior guard McKenna Minter led the Rockets with 20 points with drives to the basket reminiscent of her freshman season when she was a first-team Super-Stater before missing almost all of last year with a torn ACL.
Minter had seven points in the final period, including a three-point play after an Azaiya Trainor steal led to a Minter layup and a foul shot that cut the Millard North margin to 57-54 with 1:07 left.
“Northeast is a team full of scrappy, athletic warriors who weren’t going to go away,†said Diehl, whose team spread the floor and tried to play keep-away from the Rockets in the last four minutes. “We didn’t want to stop shooting, we wanted to shoot layups and unfortunately we had some kids who passed up layups and quit being aggressive.â€
West, a 5-11 senior guard and Missouri-Kansas City recruit, and junior Nicole Avila-Ambrosi each scored 15 points to pace Millard North. Trainor added 12 for Northeast.
Millard North boys 75, Northeast 56
The Class A No. 9 Mustangs (12-7) sprinted to a 42-21 halftime lead and never looked back. Hunter Sallis, a 6-4 sophomore who has a scholarship offer from Nebraska, led three Mustangs in double-figures with 18 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
“I thought Hunter was really good tonight,†Millard North coach Tim Cannon said after his team’s fifth straight win. “He defended well, scored from all three levels and passed it well. He’s improved faster over the last year than any player I’ve ever had, and it’s scary how good he could be if he continues to progress like he has.â€
Jasen Green, a 6-5 freshman, scored both inside and beyond the three-point line to add 12 points for the Mustangs. Senior Mason Jung had 10 for Millard North, including six in the first quarter to propel the Mustangs to a 22-8 lead after eight minutes.
Pierce Bazil had 17 points and Carson Busch 10 for Northeast (5-15).
Photos: Lincoln Northeast boys, girls fall to host Millard North on Thursday
Millard North's Lauren West (center) looks up for a shot against Lincoln Northeast's Joliet Rinaker (21) and Azaiya Trainor (right) on Thursday at Lincoln Northeast.