Defensively, Batavia’s Kylee Gehrt is as good as it gets. And she also gets it. ‘I like having that role.’

Regardless of how much she scores, Batavia’s Kylee Gehrt knows her primary assignment.

Make no mistake, Gehrt gets it. She’s the Bulldogs’ second-leading scorer behind Brooke Carlson, the DuKane Conference’s player of the year. She’s also the team’s best defender.

Name the opposition’s best player, and Gehrt will be guarding her.

“Last year, I had that role too,” she said. “Luckily for me this year, we have other players that support me when I need a break. I’m lucky to have those players because I can switch.

“If I get screened, I know they’ll cover me. I like having that role.”

Gehrt and the Bulldogs got on a roll Monday night. They didn’t have to sweat too much for a 63-25 victory over the host Wildcats in the Class 4A West Chicago Regional semifinals.

Carlson led the way with 14 points and Gehrt followed with 11 for Batavia (19-11), which advanced to play at 7 p.m. Thursday against Glenbard West for the regional title.

Jasmyn Trigueros scored a game-high 23 points for West Chicago (17-15). Glenbard West beat Glenbard East 64-40 in Monday’s other semifinal.

Batavia coach Kevin Jensen, whose team is seeking a second straight regional title, doesn’t take Gehrt’s contributions to lightly.

“We feel like we have a ton of really good defenders, but she’s the one that game in and game out gets everybody’s best player,” Jensen said. “She’s athletic. She’s fast. She’s strong.”

Gehrt is averaging a shade under eight points, helping to support Carlson at nearly 20 points.

“She’s so athletic and works so hard and gives everything she can,” Jensen said of Gehrt. “She’s capable of running out and getting a breakaway layup when it doesn’t look like anything is there. She’s capable of knocking down some threes.

“And she’s doing that while she’s lacing it up against somebody’s best player.”

Gehrt was recognized for her efforts by earning all-conference honors Monday.

“It means a lot,” Gehrt said. “It was a huge goal for me to get that. I had a slump this season, but I had to get back on it.”

Gehrt doesn’t have to look too far to find an example of the type of player she wants to be. She has played with Carlson since middle school.

“Brooke is just amazing on the court,” Gehrt said. “It helps a lot. She scores, of course. She’s a great player. She finds me a lot. It’s just fun.

“She’s playing at a really high level — has a lot of (college) offers. It helps me to get to somewhat of that level.”

Monday’s performance showed the depth and balance of Batavia beyond Carlson, who scored a career-high 42 points last week against St. Charles North.

Carlson produced 14 points in less than three quarters of action Monday, but she also had five assists and four steals.

While Carlson and Gehrt were the lone double-digit scorers, Sarah Hecht, Addi Lowe, Addie Prewitt and Natalie Warner added between five and seven points apiece.

Prewitt added eight rebounds, four steals and three assists.

“She’s constantly giving us extra possession after extra possession,” Jensen said of Prewitt. “She had a couple double-doubles early in the year. She’s adding so much.

“Everybody thinks of points. Even she’s guilty of it, but she’s affecting the game so much.”

Last season, with 6-foot-5 center Tessa Towers leading the way, the Bulldogs picked up their third regional title since 2014. Wisconsin recruit Towers graduated, however.

Now, Batavia is young in age but long on experience and will try to go back-to-back.

“This is so exciting,” Gehrt said. “It’s a huge goal of ours.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.