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Maine West picks up where it left off

Maine West's girls basketball team started out its season on Monday night the way it ended every game last season.

With a win.

The Warriors won their 37th straight with a 57-43 win at Hersey, extending their winning streak which started with a victory in the 2018 Class AA third-place game followed by last year's 35-0 record.

Oregon-bound Angela Dugalic, a four-year starter whose record is 96-6, led the Warriors with 17 points and 10 rebounds, despite seeing limited minutes due to illness that forced her out of practice for six days.

Classmate Dylan VanFleet, who also started on last year's state championship team, added 13 points, 5 steals, 5 assists and 6 rebounds while junior and first-year starter Brianna Hernandez added 10 points.

"It's different," said VanFleet, who along with Dugalic tossed home 3-pointers. "We have new people and it's always nerve-racking in your first game of the season.

"It's a good start but there's always a ways to go with any team. We just have to keep improving our game the best we can. We'll go one step at a time."

The Warriors stepped it up defensively in the second quarter, outscoring the Huskies 21-5.

Leading 9-4 after one quarter, 2 free throws by Dugalic, a driving layup by Lena Albo off an assist from VanFleet, and a steal and a layup by freshman Jaclyn Riedl ignited a 12-3 run that put the Warriors in command.

"One thing I liked was the defensive effort in the second quarter," said Maine West coach Kim de Marigny. "We really turned it up and they did what they were capable of. They've got to buy into that.

"The execution of the offense was very poor but it's first-game jitters and it will get better in time."

Juniors Mary Kate Fahey and Mary McGrath led Hersey with 17 points apiece.

"And we expected that," said Hersey coach Mary Fendley. "It took them a while to get going but their veteran players. Mary Kate has started since freshman year and Mary started last year. We expected that from them and they did the bulk of our ballhandling, too.

"I thought Avery Larson (4 points) and Jessie Carlquist (3-pointer) did a nice job off the bench."

Among the other new faces scoring for Maine West were Mahogany Shaw, Jane Rothweiler and Thirza Hanus.

"We have one win for this season and that's all we're looking at," de Marigny said. "We were sluggish and not in the condition we needed to be in. But it's a different team and different personnel. The conditioning will come.

"The first one is always the worst one. We have some young kids who haven't been in this kind of situation before so they'll be fine. And Angela was not 100 percent so we were trying to protect her a little."

Fendley believes her team is better than it showed.

"I figured it would takes us a little while to get going," she said. "But I still thought we were better prepared than we showed. I thought we were a little timid in the first half getting shots off.

"But I was more concerned that they were able to run us which I didn't think many teams would be able to do. But they did."

The hall of fame coach loved beginning against the defending state champs.

"People asked if I was crazy to play the state champions in our opening game but there's no one else I'd rather play," Fendley said. "It kind of lets you see where you stand so it's a great game to open your season.

"Last year, we opened the first playing first week playing Maine West and Mother McAuley who were one-two (in Class 4A). We're not going to shy away from anyone. We'll have another good one Thursday. Barrington has a good team, too."

  Hersey's Mary Kate Fahey, left, moves around Maine West's Dylan VanFleet during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Natalia Kubsik, left, and Mary Kate Fahey, right, guard Maine West's Dylan VanFleet during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Avery Larson moves the ball against Maine West during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Hersey's Mary McGrath moves the ball against Maine West during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Lena Albo moves with the ball against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Dylan VanFleet takes a jumper against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Maine West's Angela Dugalic plays against Hersey during varsity girls basketball in Arlington Heights Monday night. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
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