One of the Southland’s biggest early season surprises has been Bloom junior Dada Wardell.
The 5-foot-9 center is among the area leaders, averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Blazing Trojans (4-1).
It’s coming after taking a year off to focus on books instead of basketball.
“At that time, I had a lot of school work and it became overwhelming,” Wardell said of her sophomore year. “I had to put my schoolwork first.
“It was hard sitting out for the season last year, but I dedicated myself to coming back a lot tougher and faster and stronger.”
Bloom coach Ron Newquist found out quickly how dedicated Wardell would be.
“She told me during the spring when she came to our last game,” Newquist said. “She said, ‘Coach, I’m going to work hard. I want back in.’
“She worked with us all summer long. She came to all of the camps, all of the tournaments. She did everything. She was bound and determined to be a major player for us this year.”
Wardell made an instant impact at the Rich South Galaxy Tournament, scoring 24 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in a win over Joliet Catholic.
“She’s a very good post player,” Newquist said. “For being undersized, she has good post moves and she’s tenacious on the boards. She’s a great defender.”
Soph stepper: Don’t look now, but Hillcrest is one of the hottest teams in the Southland.
The Hawks (4-2) won their fourth game in a row, beating Phillips 51-43 at Saturday’s Crete-Monee Crosstown Shootout.
For sophomore Kierra Williamson, it was her second consecutive big game. The 5-foot-7 guard scored 16 points for the Hawks. She had a career-high 19 points in Thursday’s 62-44 win over Eisenhower.
She’s come a long way from last season, when as a freshman sixth man she averaged four points.
Surprised? Not Hawks coach Rex Martin.
“We figured she’d step up to the starter’s role,” Martin said. “Last season she played in every game for us, and there were times when she’d make some key baskets.”
The biggest came with 1:30 remaining in a Class 3A regional final game against Harlan, when her layup tied the game. Teammate Kyla Cornelius won it with a buzzer-beating basket.
As happy as he is with the point totals, Martin is even more impressed with Williamson’s defense.
“She covers ground from Point A to Point B better than anybody we’ve got,” Martin said. “She’s also a strong rebounder.
“Kierra is just a really, really strong athlete. And although Kyla Cornelius is our senior, our main offensive threat, Kierra has definitely stepped up to be that No. 2. She’s probably pushing to be No. 1.”
Tough kid: Mother McAuley junior Tara O’Malley was away from the team for three days last week due to bronchitis.
She returned on Thursday ready to go, and scored 16 points in a 52-45 victory over Lincoln-Way Central.
The 5-foot-6 guard is the leading scorer for the Mighty Macs (6-1), averaging 14.2 points. She scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Libertyville.
The Mighty Macs are off to one of the best starts in coach Ashley Clanton’s five seasons.
“We are excited about our group this season,” Clanton said. “We have the majority of our team back from last year and they have put in a lot of time.”
O’Malley has been with the McAuley varsity since her freshman year. As a sophomore, she averaged 12.6 points, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
“Tara’s biggest areas of growth have been in leadership and composure,” Clanton said. “She has managed close games for us and has stayed composed when opponents have attempted to speed her up.
“She makes smarter decisions, but still competes with the same passion she came in with as a freshman. She is invested in her teammates and is really coming into her leadership abilities as she continues to mature.”
Twitter @tbaranek
Top 10
Won-loss records included through Sunday, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
1. Homewood-Flossmoor 3-1 (1)
2. Marist 8-0 (2)
3. Lincoln-Way West 7-0 (3)
4. Queen of Peace 8-0 (5)
5. Morgan Park 4-3 (4)
6. Bloom 4-1 (7)
7. Mother McAuley 6-1 (NR)
8. Lincoln-Way East 4-4 (6)
9. Argo 4-3 (9)
10. Crete-Monee 5-3 (NR)
Player of the Week: Rich Central’s Vivian Imarenezor, a senior guard, delivered 31 points and seven rebounds as the Olympians beat Eisenhower 56-38.
