On point in crunch time for Richards
Sobieszczyk comes through in clutch as Bulldogs slip past Tinley Park
Richards point guard Nikki Sobieszczyk needed just one word to describe what it was like last season passing the ball inside to all-area standout Halle Idowu. “Amazing,” Sobieszczyk said. Of course, she elaborated well beyond one.
“I had so much fun,” Sobieszczyk said. “She was always open and always able to get to the ball. Halle did an amazing job last year. She pushed us really hard, and I just loved it.”
With Idowu off to college and already flourishing at Toledo, Sobieszczyk has a new favorite target.
Or maybe more than one. “Probably Lilly Moran or Naomi Jones,” Sobieszczyk said, smiling. “Naomi is the tallest, so I always see her on the court. I don’t know. To be honest, I look for everyone.”
When she doesn’t put the ball up herself, Sobieszczyk is scoring a lot more this season.
The 5-foot-4 senior was clutch in Wednesday’s 40-36 South Suburban Conference victory over Tinley Park.
Trailing by as many as 13 points, Richards roared back in the second half. The Bulldogs still trailed 33-30 with three minutes remaining when Sobieszczyk put on her hero’s cape.
First, she made a steal. Then, she had an assist on a basket by Moran that put Richards in front. She added a 3-point play and a running bank-in, finishing with 13 points.
It came on the heels of a 50-31 win Monday over Lemont in which she scored 17 points.
“It’s very different,” So
bieszczyk said. “I have more scoring opportunities. But I just love it, taking over from Halle. I want to follow in her footsteps.”
Sobieszczyk is averaging 13 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Bulldogs (6-1, 6-1). It’s a dramatic upturn in scoring, compared to the 6.5 points she averaged in 2019-20.
Richards coach Jeff Kortz isn’t all that surprised.
“Last season, she was one of our outside shooters,” Kortz said. “When we could get it to her, and when she was hot, she would knock some shots down.
“But Nikki has grown immensely the last year. With her ballhandling, her leadership, her passing, her scoring, she has just really grown into the senior role and done a great job — as a lot of the seniors have for not having a full summer.”
Sobieszczyk’s determination was summed up perfectly during one sequence in Monday’s game against Lemont.
The Bulldogs led early in the second quarter when Sobieszczyk brought the ball down to the 3-point line and fired. She missed, but made a bee line to the ball. After the rebound, she whipped a pass back out to the 3-point line, from where a teammate missed as well.
Who was under the basket to snag another rebound and put the ball in for a layup? Yep, the shortest girl on the floor.
“I always try to finish my shot,” Sobieszczyk said. “That’s my goal. I’m just always looking at the rim at all times.”
And while she sure can’t reach it at 5-4 …
“You can’t measure heart and you can’t measure desire,” Kortz said. “Nikki packs it all in. She plays extremely hard. She loves to play and she just gets better every day.”
It’s the sales pitch he’ll be giving to college coaches. Sobieszczyk wants to keep playing.
“I’ve talked to a couple of colleges, but I’m still trying to figure it all out,” Sobieszczyk said. “I’m just glad we have a chance to play some games.
“I would have been so sad if we didn’t. I worked so hard over the summer and over quarantine. I was just praying to have a season. If we didn’t, I don’t know what I would have done.”