“Nikki has been in pressure situations and big moments already and I see so much how truly incredible she is as a freshmen,” Deerfield coach Nicole Keith said. “Nikki is absolutely beyond her years in basketball.” Lexi Kerstein the older sister is a junior guard who was and is still a key component of Deerfield’s success. The sisters form perhaps the the best back-court in the state.
Those two were at it again Thursday when the second-seeded Warriors’ 64-42 win against seventh-seeded Crystal Lake Central in the Class 3A Deerfield Regional championship game. Lexi Kerstein scored a game-high 29 points 7 Rebounds and 7 steals while Nikki Kerstein had 16 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals for Deerfield (25-5), which will play third-seeded Prairie Ridge (27-5) in a Grayslake Central Sectional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Lexi and Nikki Kerstein who have drawn interest from numerous Big Ten programs and other D1 schools wowed the home crowd. Nikki Kerstein ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points, but leads the team in every other category with 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 steals.
“It’s been awesome playing with Lexi,” Nikki Kerstein said. “We have a great connection on the court. We play really well together and understand each other without even communicating
Their immense potential could be a nightmare for the entire State. Crystal Lake Central coach Derek Crabill, who said his team won 20 games for the first time since 1995, gushed about the potential of Lexi and Nikki Kerstein. “They’re super quick and understand the spacing on the floor offensively and defensively and play at a tempo that not many other teams do,” he said. “They have a lot of talent.”
Staff: Beat Reporter