Madeline DiLella sparks Lutheran North to basketball victory over Almont

By Chuck Klonke

Madeline DiLella of Lutheran North puts up a shot. Lutheran North vs Almont on December 2, 2021. (DAVID DALTON for MediaNews Group)

Madeline DiLella can pose quite a dilemma for basketball teams trying to get an offense going against Lutheran North.

The junior guard had a game-high 12 points, with half of them coming directly off steals, to help the Mustangs defeat Almont 48-33 for their second straight non-league victory.

DiLella is 5-foot-4, but she has the reach of someone much taller.

“We laugh about her wingspan”, said coach Andrea Avery-Tiedt. “We compare her arms to everyone else’s. She’s got this huge wingspan. She’s very quick and she’s very smart knowing where the ball is going to go. She had quite a few steals in the middle of that press. She’s got good court awareness.”

DiLella isn’t quite sure how to explain her ability to disrupt an offense.

“I just kind of watch their eyes and she where they’re holding the ball and where they’re going to throw it,” she said. “It kind of comes naturally, I guess.”

DiLella fits perfectly into a defense that is the strength of the North team this year.

“We work hard on our defense and we have a good group of girls who are pretty quick,” Avery-Tiedt said. “They’re able to move around really quick.”

DiLella and Avery-Tiedt both said that it’s teamwork that makes the defense so effective.

“We all work really well together,” DiLella said. “We know that if we don’t get our man, someone else will cover it for us. We can always depend on each other.”

North never trailed in the game, although Almont cut an 11-point lead to three points at halftime (23-20) after a pair of 3-point baskets by Grace Johnson in the last 40 seconds of the first half.

The Mustangs started the second half in a full-court press that forced Raiders coach Erik Johnson to call two quick timeouts to make adjustments. North opened the second half on an 11-2 run to lead 34-22 with 4:43 left in the third quarter.

“We were pressing the whole game,” Avery-Tiedt said. “We started in a press and they made some adjustments so we adjusted right back. We have a couple different presses we can throw. We came out at halftime and had to get business done.”

Almont received a major setback when Sarah Hall injured her knee in a collision under the basket early in the second half.

“I hope it’s not as serious as it looks,” Erik Johnson said. “I’m just heartbroken right now. She’s worked so hard. She’s a softball player on my team, too, and has a chance to play at the next level. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and pray for her.”

The loss was the second straight for the Raiders, but Johnson saw some improvement.

“We had better energy tonight,” he said. “We’re young and we’re trying to figure things out with our group. We’re learning to play composed. We had short bursts of that. We did a good job in the first half of fighting back and scrambling to get within three. Then the injury to Sarah just took the wind out of our sails.”

Grace Johnson led Almont with nine points.

It was an enjoyable night for North, which got all 12 players into the game in the first half.

“One of my players said, ‘Coach, that was a lot of fun,’” Avery-Tiedt said. “That’s what we want to hear. This group of girls is so bonded. They work together on and off the court. I’m really fortunate to have these 12 on my team this year.”

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Almont. 3 17 6 7—33
Lutheran North 9 14 17 8—48

Almont (0-2): Kendall Roszczewski 5, Grace Johnson 9, Grace Koenig 5, Lizzy Brandt 5, Sarah Hall 5, Bella Moussiaux 2, Brandi Zimmer 1, Jesse Kautz 2. Totals: 11 (3) 8-13—33.

Lutheran North (2-0): Ava Miller 4, Hannah Miller, 4, Laurel Barno 5, Madeline DiLella 12, Ava Herbst 8, Allison Starkey 3, Anne May 4, Elise Neumeyer 4, Lindsey LaBara 2, Tess Teodecki 2. Totals: 17 (2) 12-14—48.