Some big reasons Grant is expecting big things
There will be no stated predictions here for the Grant girls basketball team. However, there is a chance the Bulldogs will present a lineup that might intimidate some teams.
Grant is majoring in tall this season.
Mallory Harrity, a 6-foot senior and four-year varsity player, clearly dominates in the paint. The even-taller Jazzlyn Linbo might make a name for herself in this, her freshman season.
On Wednesday night, the veteran Harrity got her double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds), as Grant beat host Mundelein 52-39 on the third day of the Thanksgiving tournament. Foul trouble slowed Harrity down somewhat, so enter the freshman.
Linbo had 6 of her 10 points in the second quarter after the score was tied 9-9 at the end of the first. When Harrity sat down, her teammates took over.
Grant improved to 2-1 in the tourney, while Mundelein fell to 0-3.
Credit Mundelein guard Hannah Buscher (7 points) for preventing the Mustangs from being shut out in the second quarter, which Grant won 15-2.
"I think we can intimidate people," Harrity said of a lineup featuring her and Linbo on the court at the same time. "We pass the ball well to each other."
Linbo is glad she is teamed up with the senior Harrity.
"She's amazing," Linbo said. "She is so quick in the post."
Both teams are sporting new coaches. Mundelein's new coach is Greg Dorgan. Grant is piloted by the well-traveled Kevin Geist. He played his basketball at Maine South. He seems to have to found a home with the Bulldogs.
"This a great job," Geist said. "These are great athletes and they are tough."
It wasn't all Grant in the early going. Mundelein showed off sophomore Morgan Frank. She had 8 of her team's 9 first quarter points.
And just like that the Mundelein offense went quiet.
"Our defense really picked it up," Harrity said. "We really were talking out there."
Harrity scored the first 6 points of the third quarter, as Grant built its lead to 28-11. Mundelein had a 3-pointer from Madison Parola to open the third-quarter scoring. Mundelein 5-10 freshman Gerda Boreika began to assert herself on the boards for the Mustangs, and Frank had a 6-point run.
Frank led Mundelein with 14 points. Boreika's rebound bucket ended the third-quarter scoring with Grant up 36-24.
Mundelein cut the lead to single digits in the final quarter. Buscher had 5 points in the fourth. Harrity never did pick up her fifth foul and finished with a flurry, as she scored 9 points in the fourth.
Grant also had some help from guard Ally Mahinay, who finished with 11 points.