ROCKFORD — Things weren’t running very smoothly on the offensive end for the Lady Hubs varsity basketball team Monday night.
That’s when Jacie Wyatt took matters into her own hands.
The junior forward scored 14 of her season-high and team-high 20 points in the first half, and her effort helped propel Rochelle to a 66-44 victory over the Harvard Hornets in the IHSA Class 3A Regional at Rockford Lutheran High School.
“I think this win is a big confidence booster for us,” Wyatt said after the game. “Hopefully we can bring the same energy and effectiveness that we had tonight into our game on Wednesday.”

The Lady Hubs (11-16, 3-10 NIB-12) entered Monday’s quarterfinal contest having lost each of their last five games, but they received a welcoming sight when they took the floor to play a Harvard squad who began the regional without a single win during the regular season.
But the Hornets sure didn’t play like a defeated team, as they scored several points on the fast break while Rochelle struggled to knock down shots from the perimeter. Harvard trailed by just two points after the first quarter, and the Hornets stayed within striking distance at halftime, with the Lady Hubs leading 36-28 behind Wyatt and senior Abby Kerns, who scored six points in the first half.

“A lot of my rhythm came from my teammates and them helping me get open,” Wyatt said. “I think just working as a team mostly contributed to my points tonight.”
The Hornets found several driving lanes in the first half, but there weren’t many in the second half, as the Lady Hubs ramped up their press and forced a handful of Harvard turnovers. By the end of the third quarter Rochelle had taken control of the game with a 52-36 lead.

The Lady Hubs continued to find the hoop in the fourth quarter, and by the end of the game eight different players scored at least four points. Junior Cesca Vardman finished with 15 points, while senior Haley Rawles added 10 points.
The victory moves Rochelle into the regional semifinals against Stillman Valley, who took down the Lady Hubs 59-33 roughly two weeks ago.
But now that the girls are familiar with the Cardinals’ play style, Wyatt and her teammates are hoping to pull off the upset to keep their season alive.
“I think we’re just going to modify our press a little bit and modify our rotations,” Wyatt said. “I think the system we’ve been using now will still be really effective against them and tire them out.”