Comets Battle Shorthanded, Fall in Overtime to Wheaton Warriors

The Hillcrest Comets entered Friday night’s showdown against the Wheaton Warriors with an unblemished record in regulation play and high hopes of maintaining that streak. However, the odds were stacked against them, as two of their 1,000-point scorers, Ella Knutson and Elsa Retzlaff, were sidelined. Despite losing their impact in the paint and on the perimeter, the Comets fought well to a tie game at the end of regulation, ultimately falling 93-88, in overtime.

The absence of two starters forced Comet head coach Hannah Clark to lean on her bench and younger players in new roles. Still, Hillcrest opened the game determined and kept pace with Wheaton’s more experienced lineup. At halftime, the Comets were only down two points, 40-42, demonstrating resilience and a capacity to adapt without their key pieces.

“Playing without Ella and Elsa, we asked the girls to step up and fill new roles,” Coach Clark said. “Brooke (Swedberg) came in and played huge minutes for us. Elin put the team on her back in the second half and willed our team back into the game.”

Heading into the final stretch, Hillcrest proved why they remained undefeated in regulation going into this game. The Comets orchestrated a thrilling come-from-behind push in the last three minutes, sparked by Elin Retzlaff's leadership. Retzlaff poured in 35 points, snagged six rebounds, and tallied three steals and three assists.

Alongside Retzlaff, Ruby Peterson added 27 points, six rebounds, a remarkable nine steals, and four assists, helping the Comets claw back and force overtime at 80-80. Aaveah Stender (11 points, 12 rebounds) was a force on the boards without Hillcrest’s usual paint presence. Kate Olstad (nine points, five rebounds), Emme Berge (four points, five rebounds), and Brooke Swedberg (two points) also provided crucial support in the Comets’ balanced effort.

Despite riding a wave of momentum into the extra period, foul trouble soon took its toll. In the final two minutes, Peterson and Berge found themselves on the bench, watching as their teammates played on without two of the game’s top defenders. Even so, the Comet bench continued to battle, refusing to concede the victory readily. However, the Warriors capitalized on Hillcrest’s depleted lineup and slowly pulled away to secure a 93-88 win. Wheaton’s Julia Schmidt led her team with 33 points.

“We were careless with the ball at times on offense—rushed passes and poor decision-making led to empty possessions,” Clark acknowledged. “Defensively, we gave Wheaton too many second-chance opportunities….I’m proud of how hard the girls played and continued to fight until the final buzzer.”

With the overtime loss, the Comets may have fallen from the ranks of the undefeated, but they remain unbeaten in regulation and more motivated than ever. Playing with only three of their regular starters, they demonstrated impressive grit and unity—attributes that bode well for a team looking to make a deep playoff run once fully healthy.