By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Brooke Becker got off to a fast start on Wednesday night, just like the one her St. Charles Comets are off to this season.

The senior forward scored the first 17 points of the game for St. Charles as the team moved to 2-0, defeating Sacred Heart 41-23 in a non-district game in LaPlace.

Becker sat for the entire fourth quarter, as her game high 24 points helped the Comets put things away early.

“I know I have to step up this year as the only senior,” said Becker. “I’ve got to be a leader.”

Defense had just as much to do with the victory. The Comets have a decidedly different look under first-year coach Nolan Louque, who calls for aggressive full-court pressure and rotates players liberally throughout the game. St. Charles built its lead by forcing turnovers and converting them into transition baskets.

“We’ve got a smaller team,” said Louque. “So we want to utilize our speed and quickness as much as we can. We want to put a lot of pressure on people, and play at a fast pace.”

Point guard Dominique DiCarlo added 8 points for SCC.

Sacred Heart forward Jennifer Sabludowsky kept the Cardinals in it for awhile, scoring enough to keep her team within five, 13-8 after a quarter.

But that’s when SCC took off. Becker scored on a short jumper to begin the second, then on a power move inside off an assist from DiCarlo to make it 17-8. An Erica Degelos shot made it 24-10. SCC outscored Sacred Heart 11-3 in the third quarter to lead 24-11 at the half.

DiCarlo pushed the lead to 28-11 after a pair of buckets to begin the third. Rosa Balaquer scored and added a foul shot for a 3-point play, but Becker scored off a Jaymie Remondet assist, then again to make it 32-13. Degelos finished the quarter with a 3-point play of her own, and St. Charles entered the fourth up 35-14, a win well in hand.

On Tuesday, St. Charles came from behind to edge Pope John Paul II, 31-26 at St. Charles.

Becker scored 23 to lead all scorers, but St. Charles trailed 22-18 entering the fourth. But the Comets took a 13-4 advantage in the final period to capture the victory.

“We pushed hard, and they pushed back,” Becker said. “They got in a little foul trouble. We were able to do a lot of the little things that win close games.”

So SCC is off to a fast start — and for a new coach, that can take a load off one’s mind.

“Especially for a new coach coming in, it’s important to get off on the right foot,” Louque said. “We’re playing a new style, and you want the kids to believe in what you teach.”

So far, so good.

“Our new motto this year is to believe in the process and play with pride,” said Becker.