As Naperville Central senior guard Erin Hackett enters the final month of her high school career, one thing is certain.
No matter what is asked of her, Hackett can, well, hack it.
“Erin Hackett is a great player,” Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said. “She has done a super job of being a team leader, let alone scoring points.
“As you could see tonight, when we needed points, she put points on the board. She had a couple nice steals, was solid at the free-throw line and played good defense for us.”
Indeed, Hackett came up huge in the clutch against crosstown rival Naperville North on Friday night. The Carthage commit scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half to help the Redhawks win 50-39 and complete a two-game sweep of the host Huskies in the DuPage Valley Conference.
Naperville Central (21-4, 6-1), which is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A in the poll by The Associated Press, led 34-33 when Hackett took a pass from freshman forward Katelyn Kritzer and hit a 3-pointer from the left wing with 36 seconds left in the third quarter.
On the next possession, Hackett made a steal, was fouled and sank both free throws. It was part of a 14-0 run by the Redhawks.
Hackett’s 3-pointer pushed her past Mia Lakstigala into second place on Naperville Central’s career scoring list. She finished the game with 1,867 points, five more than Lakstigala. Only former NBA star Candace Parker, who totaled 2,753, has scored more.
“With the history that our school has, to be the second-leading scorer in history still with five regular-season games to go is such a phenomenal accomplishment,” Nussbaum said.
One which Hackett, a four-year varsity player who did not start as a freshman, never expected.
“It’s kind of surreal,” she said. “Freshman year I would have never thought that I would have gotten to this point. I’m just super grateful to have the team to support me through it all.”
Against Naperville North (17-7, 2-5), which lost the first meeting 83-51, Hackett got major support from Annabelle Kritzer. The junior center led all players with 17 points, 14 rebounds and four steals. Senior guard Trinity Jones, a Clemson recruit who returned after missing four games with a knee injury, contributed 15 points and five rebounds while playing restricted minutes.
Junior forward Ava Podkasik scored 16 points for the Huskies, who held Jones to just one basket in the second half. But that’s when the Redhawks were at their best.
“When Trinity is out a little bit, a lot goes to me,” Hackett said. “North knew that too. They started man-guarding me when Trinity was out. It’s harder to get the ball when that happens. But at the same time, I know I have to take charge.
“If they do double-teamed me, I always had Annabelle in the post.”
Annabelle Kritzer scored six points during the decisive run, which Naperville North senior guard Sam Kelly ended with a basket at the 2:23 mark of the fourth quarter. Hackett responded by hitting a pull-up jumper.
“This has been my third year of playing with Erinm so I think we have a really good chemistry and bond,” Annabelle Kritzer said. “I kind of know what her tendencies are, and she kind of knows what my tendencies are.
“That’s a great assist for me passing to her or her passing to me, which led to some of those big shots. It’s helped our team.”
Hackett has helped the Redhawks in a variety of roles. She came off the bench as a freshman and then was the main scorer for two seasons. Now Jones is the top option.
“I kind of like having Trinity because it takes the spotlight off of me, so defenses naturally gravitate toward her, and it gives me a lot more open shots,” Hackett said. “When she came back, I thought I’d try to take a different role. I mean, still score and everything, but keep us all energized and not let us get down on ourselves.”
Mission accomplished.
“As a leader, she’s been great,” Annabelle Kritzer said of Hackett. “I always see her in the hallways, and she says ‘Hi,’ and she’s always giving me constructive criticism during the game, which has been helpful.
“I’m super proud of her. Candace is No. 1, and Erin being No. 2 is great. Being able to play with her has been awesome.”
Nussbaum feels the same way about coaching Hackett.
“We’re going to petition for a fifth year for her,” Nussbaum joked. “She wants to win, so if we had five girls as good as Trinity, she’d be happy with that. She’s been awesome.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.