Girls basketball: Happy outcome for Lovitsch, Grayslake North in season opener
It's a forgotten part of the game.
If it's your senior year and basketball season is just beginning, there's often a touch of melancholy involved.
"It's so sad,'' said Grayslake North senior Sidney Lovitsch. "I'm going to miss all of my teammates. It's my last year playing with all my friends."
Don't cry for Lovitsch. She'll play hoops again next season at St. Xavier (Chicago). And her last high school team certainly has some potential.
"This might be our best team,'' Lovitsch said. "We are younger, with three sophomores and a couple of juniors."
The same scenario is playing out at Grant, where coach Kathie Swanson's team said so long to seven seniors a year ago.
North prevailed in game one of the season, 49-40 in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday night. The Knights didn't take control of the game until the second half. North's halftime lead was 23-21.
"I'm glad we held them to 40 points,'' said North coach Rob Nicoletti. "I was happy with the way we played, especially on the defensive end."
On back-to-back buckets from senior Abby Fish, the Knights were up 6-0.
Yet, on a 3-pointer from stylish sophomore guard Ally Mahinay, this game was tied 8-8 late in the opening quarter. Lovitsch (8 points, 6 steals) scored on back-to-back plays of the second quarter, and the North lead was restored to 14-8.
"It's Sidney's senior year,'' Nicoletti said. "She's taking a lot of the leadership role."
Grant didn't return many players from the previous year's team, but one junior forward made an impression. Mallory Harrity (16 points, 7 rebounds) had a personal 7-point run and another bucket by Keyana Linbo gave the Bulldogs a 17-14 second-quarter lead.
"It's kind a cliché, but we have to work together better,'' said Grant coach Kathie Swanson. "We just need more game experience and come out and do better tomorrow."
Again, it was Fish who helped build back the North lead in the second half.
"We don't have a lot of size on this team,'' Nicoletti said. "But Abby really rebounds the ball."
Fish (11 points) gave her Knights a boost with a 3-point play late in the third quarter. On a 3-point basket from sophomore Jordyn Gerdes, the Knights' lead was in double figures at 36-25.
Another promising sophomore in Nicoletti's lineup is Savannah Guenther. She poured in 5 of her 7 points in the final quarter.
"Savannah does a great job,'' Nicoletti said. "She's playing with confidence."
Grant had one more run left as Mahinay landed a 3-pointer and Harrity posted back-to-back baskets, but that's as close as the Bulldogs got on this night.