When your goal is to win a state championship, just getting a win sometimes isn’t enough.
Such is the case for Waubonsie Valley after beating Batavia 50-36, a final score that doesn’t reflect the control the Warriors exerted throughout the game.
“We did not play our best basketball [tonight],” coach Brett Love said. “I think we can play harder. I think we can execute a lot better. I think we can be a little bit more mature in certain moments.”
The Warriors picked up the win despite shots not falling at their usual rate. Senior guard Danyella Mporokoso finished with 18 points. Garcia-Evans finished with six points. Junior guard Maya Pereda finished with 12 points and seemingly grabbed every loose ball and rebound.
“We didn’t score as much as we usually do, we kind of fell off a little bit, but in the first quarter, we held them to [three points],” Mporokoso said. “So even if our offense wasn’t flowing like usual, we were still able to stop them.
The Warriors have a luxury few in the sport can tout: an experienced backcourt featuring seniors Mporokoso and Arie Garcia-Evans. The two complement each other well and will be the driving force for Waubonsie Valley (5-0) this season.
“[Garcia-Evans] brings physical and mental toughness,” Love said. “She never really sits out. That’s something she holds as valuable. Her IQ is great and she’s our best defender on the team.”
Garcia-Evans can easily elude her defender and create opportunities for her teammates. That asset is key, as she can get into the paint without needing a screen to free her up. In the first half, she connected with Mporokoso for a three-pointer after a drive-and-kick. She’s also suffocating as a defender and creates turnovers with constant effort.
Mporokoso is one of the better scorers in the state. She’s in range way beyond the high school three-point line and can create her own shot.
“They’re two of our best players, hands down, and they know what it takes,” Love said. “They play at a high level in the spring and summer [on the AAU circuit]. It’s definitely a huge benefit. We look to that heading into the rest of the season.”
The Warriors play a loaded schedule. In the next month, they have games against Kenwood, Homewood-Flossmoor, and St. Charles East. But games against top competition will prepare the Warriors for the inevitable obstacles that will come during the IHSA Class 4A state championship.
The Warriors are also dealing with injuries. Two players are dealing with torn ACLs, and Garcia-Evans was dealing with a sickness. That they’ve started the season undefeated is a testament to the team’s talent.
“We won our Thanksgiving tournament, so that was a good start for us to set the expectation for what we want this season,” Garcia-Evans said.
But the Warriors know how arduous a season can be. Waubonsie Valley finished 31-2 last season, but their second loss came at the state tournament. For the Warriors to return to state, it’s going to take buy-in from every player.
“We gotta lock in,” Love said. “We can’t see our competition or see how they play and be like, ‘Oh, we don’t have to give 100% effort.’In those moments, we got to execute at a high level, whether it takes moving the ball or getting downhill and kicking it out. “Our shot selection [has] got to be better. We got to challenge ourselves in ways that only we can.”