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Two Nazareth wins means return trip home
Nazareth's Tetre'anah Cross (50) gets her shot blocked by Fenwick's Margaret Reilly (13) Feb. 6, 2013 at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
Updated: March 15, 2013 12:07PM
LaGRANGE PARK — The Nazareth girls basketball team was slated to begin its postseason Tuesday in the 3A St. Joseph Regional against Payton.
While the Roadrunners are not looking past their regional opposition, they have a loftier goal: They want to return home for the sectional round.
“We want to get back on our home court for our fans and for ourselves,” said junior forward Tetre’anah Cross.
Roadrunners senior guard Molly Alberts, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury and mono since November, has returned to bolster the offense.
“Having her back is a big boost for us,” Roadrunners coach Kim Connell said. “It gives us more flexibility on offense.”
Despite Alberts’ return, Connell knows her team’s success will depend on more than one player.
“We’re not a team with one superstar athlete. For us, it’s gotta be a team effort,” Connell said. “We are very much a team of role players. We’re gonna have to rely on everyone to step up and do their part.”
The Roadrunners struggled in East Suburban Catholic play, finishing 2-7 against formidable competition, but were 11-6 out of conference. They finished their regular season with a 76-56 loss to Fenwick but hung tough for three quarters.
“They played extremely well, and they forced us into making a lot of mistakes,” said Fenwick coach David Power.
Nazareth caused 15 Friars turnovers in the first half, giving Connell optimism as the playoffs loom.
“There’s no reason we can’t win the regional with the way we’ve been playing,” Connell said. “We just need to cut down on our mistakes and close our games better, which has been a problem for us.”
