The Normal West Girls Basketball team (8-1) had a big win against the Rochester Rockets on Monday, Dec 8, winning 50-19. It was a powerful start to the game, opening the first quarter with a score of 22-2.
Junior, Avery Dodge immediately set the momentum to the Wildcat’s favor with her first layup, 15 seconds into the game.
“I think the momentum changed… right after Avery made that layup, it was just like an instant change of like we can do this, we need to keep it going,” senior Forward Hayley Upton stated.
The defense of the Wildcats was a standout on the court, turning that into offensive plays.
“We did a good job on the defensive end, especially in that first quarter of just being aggressive without fouling, and that led to a lot of good transitions and easy buckets,” Head Coach Corey Ostling said.
Bench utilization and team depth
In addition to the fast start, the Wildcats were also proud of how deep they were able to go off of their bench.
“The game plan for me going into last night was I wanted to get some of our bench in and get significant minutes because we have a back-to-back [games]…and mission accomplished,” Ostling noted.
Not only did the bench get involved, but there were eleven different scorers for the Wildcats.
“Us being able to mix and match our personnel, and knowing that it might be different every single game of who is rotating in, but still having pieces who come in, and they just do their job…I’m just really blessed,” Ostling stated.
In addition to the bench’s involvement on the court, seniors Hayley Upton and Savannah Steers also note that no matter what type of game they are in, the bench has a huge role.
“We have a saying of like ‘benergy.’ Our bench is always into the game and paying attention,” Upton stated.
Steers even relies on the bench to help with in-game plays. “The bench can help talk for the floor. If someone’s [going back-door], they can call that out,” Steers added.
Maintaining standard/learning experience
For most teams, winning by over 30 is a huge accomplishment, but the girls’ basketball team hold a higher standard.
“I think we were humbled last night,” Ostling explains.
The Wildcats expected themselves to play at a higher level than they did Monday night. This team has goals higher than they’ve had in the past.
“I don’t think we held our standard for four quarters,” Ostling states, “that’s really a testament to these girls and our captains to win by thirty and you’re still hungry for more.”
This mindset is a huge focus for the team this year.
With only one loss, they plan to push themselves throughout the season. Starting strong was a goal for the game, but for the remainder of the season, maintaining that mindset for all four quarters is key.
Team-First culture and individual standouts
The win on Monday wasn’t just about strong play from the starting five; it was the product of strategic work centered on support from the bench.
With a back-to-back game schedule the last couple of days, the coaching staff made ‘freshness’ a priority.
That approach paid off, allowing the team to keep its top players rested, “[and] were able to reduce the minutes in our starting five,” as Ostling noted.
The bench delivered in every way for the Wildcats.
Their ability to step in seamlessly became a defining factor in the win.
“It shows that we can put people in and they can do their job,” Coach Ostling said, later adding, “I have pieces and they come in and they just do their job.”
Beyond scoring and defense, their impact came from energy and focus: traits build into the program’s culture.
“Everyone plays a huge role in our culture. Even if that’s just cheering on the bench…and I feel like that gets like overlooked a lot. I do feel like our bench is a huge part of our success because if we didn’t have that energy, I feel like a lot of our momentum in games would be slowed down. So, I think that everyone plays like a huge part,” Steers noted.
On a night when depth was the plan, the Wildcats proved that their full roster is not just supportive, its a competitive advantage.
“The theme this year is ‘relentless,’ and I do think we play that out more often than not. You’ll see kids diving around on the floor, diving for these balls. I also think the thing that’s hard to see outside of a box score is that our leadership in our captain group is phenomenal,” Ostling stated.
There were four stand-out scorers against Rochester; Junior Avery Dodge and Hope Ferrill both with 9 points, Kylie Wilson and Journey Johnson both with 8 points.
On the defensive end, Senior Savannah Steers and Sophomore Lizzy Kaeser with 5 and 4 defensive rebounds, respectively.
What’s next?
After Monday’s game, the girls took on a tough Rock Island High School team, beating them 47-34 to move to 8-1 on the season.
The Wildcats travel to Richwoods High School tomorrow night, December 11, for another Conference matchup. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
