Win over Lake Forest wears well on Warren

It took a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that surprised even the shooter herself, just enough big plays from its two stars, and a supposedly lucky T-shirt that coach John Stanczykiewicz hadn't worn since he received it as a gift.

Warren's girls basketball team figured to need all the help it could get against visiting Lake Forest on Saturday night. It was, after all, the seventh meeting between the two North Suburban Conference teams since last season.

"We come in and we talk about the scouting report," Lake Forest coach Kyle Wilhelm said. "The joke is, 'Do I need to tell you guys what our game plan is?' "

For the fifth time since last season, Warren found a way to beat Lake Forest, winning the latest meeting 40-30 to retain sole possession of first place in the NSC, while dropping the Scouts two games back. Both Warren (19-5, 10-1) and Lake Forest (19-8, 8-3) have three conference games remaining.

"I like beating them," said junior guard Jataia Harris, whose 3 at the third-quarter buzzer stretched Warren's lead to 24-19. "The first game, we shouldn't have lost to them."

But the Blue Devils did lose to the Scouts, 39-31 at Lake Forest on Dec. 8. So Warren's coach pulled out a T-shirt that good friend and longtime Warren coach Rick Pearce gave to him about three years ago. Under his Warren pullover, Stanczykiewicz sported the blue T-shirt that reads, "Polish Home Club," a retirement home in North Chicago.

"He calls me 'Stosh,' " Stanczykiewicz, smiling, said of Pearce. "He goes, 'Stosh. When you have that one game - sectional final, supersectional, big conference game - wear this T-shirt.' ... I've been saving it for three years."

Wake Forest-bound Kaylen Dickson had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots for Warren, which won its eighth game in a row and 13th in its last 14. Eastern Illinois-bound Jordyn Hughes added 11 points, sinking three 3-pointers.

"It was a big win, for a lot of reasons," said Stanczykiewicz, whose Blue Devils won 3 of 4 against Lake Forest last season, losing in the Warren regional final. "Obviously there are conference implications. The seeding for the sectional will take care of itself."

Sophomore guard Halle Douglass scored a game-high 13 points for Lake Forest, which had won eight straight since losing to Warren 39-23 on the final day of Warren's Blue Devil Classic on Dec. 30. Douglass shot just 3 of 14 from the floor and was 6 of 8 from the stripe.

Her 3-pointer had the Scouts within 21-19 late in the third quarter. It looked like Warren would take that lead into the fourth, but then Hughes, under defensive pressure at the top of the key in the closing seconds, dished the ball to Harris, who had attempted only 1 shot. From the left wing, Harris splashed a 3.

Harris never reacted jubilantly or otherwise after her bucket. She just walked to the bench.

"I didn't think it was going to go in," Harris said. "It was so far from the (arc)."

"When you're playing really well, and you're keeping the game close," Wilhelm said, "that's deflating."

Douglass, who has offers from Valparaiso and Loyola, was guarded most of the game by Hughes. But when Hughes picked up 3 fouls in the first half, Stanczykiewicz put the 5-foot-7 Harris on the 6-1 Douglass.

"The game plan was to put Jataia, with her quickness, on Douglass for a little bit," Stanczykiewicz said. "We wanted to make it really hard (for Douglass) to get catches and quality possessions."

Grace Tirzmalis scored 12 points coming off the bench for Lake Forest, which was within 26-23 early in the fourth until Dickson scooped in a shot.

Macy Kocen added 9 points and 4 rebounds for Warren. Abbie Mellican made her lone shot, in the fourth quarter, and the Blue Devils secured the win by making 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth. Dickson made 4 of 4, while Kocen and Hughes each went 2 of 2.

"I'm proud of them all," Stanczykiewicz said. "It was a satisfying win."