As Zoe Navarro settles into her role as starting point guard, Neuqua Valley becomes acquainted with first place in DVC

Neuqua Valley’s Zoe Navarro found herself in over her head at times when she first began playing varsity basketball during her freshman year.

The 5-foot-4 junior point guard is still a head shorter than many of her teammates and opponents, but she’s starting to get ahead.

“I think I’m really starting to settle in at the point guard position,” Navarro said. “We’ve grown a lot over three years.

“My role has increased. I started coming off the bench, and now I’m starting, so I’ve got to contribute more on the offensive side and defensive side. It doesn’t always need to be points, but assists and steals and whatnot.”

On Thursday, it was points. Navarro scored 12, including a pair of key 3-pointers, as the Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak by upending Waubonsie Valley 59-50 in a DuPage Valley Conference game in Aurora.

Junior forward Kylee Norkus had 21 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, and junior guard Caitlin Washington added 16 points for Neuqua Valley (10-8, 4-0), which seized sole possession of first place in the conference.

Navarro, Norkus and Washington all have been on varsity since they were freshmen, but the latter two made a significant impact sooner. Only now has Navarro solidified her role.

“Zoe is really starting to come into her own,” Neuqua Valley coach Mike Williams said. “It’s taken awhile this season, but I think a lot of pressure is on her back.

“She’s the one that’s got to run the show. There’s a lot of things that we’re demanding out of her that puts pressure on her. Everybody she faces is all in her face, and they’re all good players.”

Navarro faced another good point guard Thursday in Khaliah Reid, a Division I prospect who came in averaging 15.9 points.

Reid made three early shots but also picked up two fouls and had to sit for more than five minutes. When Reid reentered, the Wildcats switched to a zone defense, and Reid was ineffective after that, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

“We were not letting her shoot anymore,” Norkus said. “We’re shutting her down. That was really it.”

The Warriors (13-3, 3-1), who are enjoying their best start since their 2011-12 team finished 25-3, led 14-8 when Norkus sank a 3-pointer that triggered a 20-4 run.

Senior guard Taylor Curry scored 10 of her team-high 17 points in the third quarter to keep Waubonsie Valley in contention, but Navarro made a 3-pointer from the left corner for a 40-29 lead midway through the period.

The Warriors pulled within 45-43 in the fourth quarter and trailed 50-46 when Navarro buried another 3-pointer off a feed from senior center Tia Poulakidas with 4:15 left.

“She makes big shots like that,” Norkus said. “I mean, we expected that. We trust her with the ball, and she made those shots. Zoe’s a good shooter.”

And not just from the perimeter. Navarro and Norkus each went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, with Navarro’s final two capping the scoring with 15.9 seconds remaining.

“We’ve put a lot of time in, so when those big moments come, it’s what everyone dreams of,” Navarro said. “So it feels good to put those in.”

Williams felt pretty good about it too.

“Those were big shots,” he said. “Tonight was a big breakout night for Zoe.”

On both ends of the court.

“She’s starting to figure out the defense a little better,” Williams said. “When you’re 5-4, you’ve got to figure out how to play with the big kids. She’s starting to figure it out, using her quickness to her advantage.”

Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.