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Glenbard East defeats Glenbard North for first win

It's always nice to get that first victory of the season.

"If feels great, because it's our fifth game now and they've all been home," Glenbard East senior Mattie Pusateri said after the Rams defeated Glenbard North 35-22 in the Rachel Bach girls basketball tournament. "It feels good to finally get our first win under our belt, and hopefully we can keep a streak going of wins."

So what was the key to the win?

"Defense," Glenbard East coach Don Finnie said. "The second half (the Rams) came out and they controlled the tempo of the game."

"Glenbard North, they have a lot of girls who are really good at driving and dishing, and they have a lot of 3-point shooters," Pusateri added. "We knew we had to pack it in the middle and help each other out and step out on the 3s. I think we just executed what we planned to do."

Glenbard North scored the game's first basket, but a Samantha Dooley 3-pointer gave the Rams a 5-2 lead. The Panthers pulled even four more times, but they never could pull ahead again.

The Rams (1-4) led 23-19 going to the fourth quarter, then pulled away. Pusateri's 3-pointer put Glenbard East ahead 28-21 with 5:12 to play, the biggest lead of the game to that point. Then the Rams added on.

"I was just feeling it and I wasn't scared to take my shots," Pusateri said. "And I wasn't scared to go to the basket and put the ball up there."

Pusateri scored again on a drive to the basket to make it 30-21. She finished with a game-best and personal-best 13 points, many of them in the low post.

"She just knows how to work it down there," Finnie said. "She can seal. She can do many things. She's a good player."

Sommer Dolinski hit a pair of free throws to bump the lead into double digits with 2:46 to go, and the Rams were on their way.

"Once we noticed we had the lead and we had the ability to keep it and maybe go on and win this game, you could definitely see people's heads pick up. They wanted to play. And we were having fun, and I think you play the best when you're having fun," Pusateri said.

Dolinski added 6 points and 10 rebounds.

"Sommer had a really nice game. She was dominant on the boards today," Finnie said.

While the Rams were basking in their win, the Panthers (2-4) are ready for some time off and some practice time, having lost four straight.

Leah Miller led the Panthers with 8 points.

"We're struggling right now to execute offensively and play for each other," first-year Panthers coach Steve Wit said. "We retreat into some bad habits. I think we can take care of those."

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