Crete-Monee tops T.F. South in girls basketball

LANSING | Crete-Monee's Ashley Henry knew tackling a bigger Thornton Fractional South front line would be a tall order.

Henry, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, said her work was cut out for her in facing South's 6-4 Dominique Brooks and 5-11 Ashley Bryant.

While Crete (3-3) didn't win the battle of the boards, Henry did net 10 and helped shut down South's inside game as the Warriors won 43-36 Tuesday night.

"I just put my hands up and played defense," Henry said. "I didn't do anything special but try to box out and keep them out of the paint."

Brooks had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Bryant accumulated five points and seven rebounds, but the Rebels (1-3) missed several inside shots and threw the ball away.

"We came out here, and they were more worried not having their (music) tape for warm-ups," South coach Steve Breshock said. "What does that tell you if you are more worried about music than basketball? It tells you that you are not ready to play basketball. Your mind is not on basketball, and, if that is the case, don't play basketball — be a cheerleader."

Crete's Alexia DuBose scored five of her 11 points in the fourth quarter and said this was a must-win game after struggling at the Glenbard East Invitational.

"Big. Big. Big. That's how important this game was," DuBose said. "We knew we had to play hard and had to come out with energy."

South never led and got as close as 8-7 in the first quarter. While the Rebels never let the Warriors run away, every time it looked like the Rebels were going to make a run, they turned over the ball.

"Stupid mistakes, that's what they were," Breshock said. "We get rebounds and don't put it back in. We have the size advantage, but we get the ball inside, and you have to finish. We didn't."

Morgayne Perry led Crete's scoring with 13 points. Jessica Majors and Reggi Jones added six points each for the Rebels.