Ladycats Take Tough Reavis Loss

By Dennis Bowling

Beecher Coach Adam Keen’s Ladycats were not able to practice during their Christmas break, as both of the gyms were flooded. But, they still came out prepared and did their absolute best on December 26.

Beecher senior Kendall Kasput, a 5’-4” shooting guard, had a great game, with a team-high 11 points, including a pair of treys, two assists, and two steals. Despite those stats, Reavis beat Beecher, 68-45, in the opening round of the Blue Devil Classic in Peotone.

“It was just tough to get a win,” said Keen. “A water main at the school broke and flooded both of our gyms.”

“Kendall did a great job at both ends of the floor,” the Coach said. “Offensively, she had some nice shots in the second half of the game. She is our energizer and helps to keep us up tempo. She is very vocal, too.”

Kasput had a great game against a physical Rams squad and noted, “I was making my shots, and I was also looking for my open teammates, too. At times, we just didn’t play consistently.”

Coach Keen felt freshman Ava Pattenaude, a 5’-4” guard, who finished with six points and five steals, is making great progress.

“Ava is continuing to grow in her overall play,” he said. “She is doing a lot of nice things on offense, is a hustler, and is confident in taking her shots. She does a lot for us.”

Pattenaude summarized her thoughts about the loss to Reavis, “We were all tired. We all played very well, tried our best, and wanted to beat them.”

“Kendall is very good,” she continued. “She is a pretty good three-point shooter and is a very good passer, too.”

According to the Coach, “Aylin (Lagunas) just needs to play with confidence. She’ll get there. She’s strong with the ball and is consistent around the basket.”

Keen felt that sophomore Aylin Lagunas, a 5’-9” forward, has a bright future with the Ladycats, and noted, “Aylin needs to be more confident around the basket and needs to believe in herself. We need to get Aylin the ball, as she can make her shots.”

Keen was quite pleased with the play of sophomore Jenna Pevion, a 5’-6” guard, who finished with five points, and remarked, “We just want Jenna to be our offensive spark.”

At halftime, Reavis had a 39-24 lead. Then, to start the third quarter, Beecher went on a 7-0 scoring run. Kasput made a trey, which cut the Reavis margin to 39-27. Pattenaude made consecutive baskets to cut the Rams advantage to 40-31. But, at the close of the stanza, Reavis was in complete control with a 51-38 lead, which led to the win.

Beecher Athletic Director Brandon DuBois summarized just what impact the flooding had on the school, “During Christmas break, a pipe burst, which flooded the hallway, the cafeteria, both gymnasiums, and the science wing.”

School officials were going to meet on Wednesday and decide what happens next.