Visiting Glenbrook South girls basketball team earns overtime win over North
As a coach, in a game like this you almost throw fate to the wind.
"We knew this was going to be hard," Glenbrook South girls basketball coach Scott Nemecek said of Tuesday's Central Suburban League South opener at Glenbrook North.
"We talked about, guys, it's like a coin toss. It kind of was."
With the clock ticking down in overtime, Titans sophomore forward Anna Rosenberger got the slightest bit of a blocked shot right near Glenbrook North's basket. Teammate Megan Flentye scrambled to collect the rebound, was fouled, and made 2 free throws with 2.7 seconds left in overtime to clinch Glenbrook South's 49-46 victory over the hosts in Northbrook.
Flentye banked in the first free throw. After a Glenbrook North timeout she toed the line and swished the second.
"I just had to take a deep breath and then overall I think I pulled it off pretty well. I was a little nervous," said Flentye, a senior guard, who scored 9 points.
"It feels very rewarding because they are our rival school, so it just feels great."
It might have been a tossup, yet after Glenbrook North (4-1, 0-1) swept to the Maine East Thanksgiving Tournament title, having Glenbrook South (5-1, 1-0) beat the Spartans in their home opener left a taste like old turkey.
Glenbrook North forward Brooke Blumenfeld admitted she was upset, but she smiled afterward as she spoke about the game. It was a smile that said, don't get mad, get even.
"We had a really good defensive game and our offense wasn't there, so when we play them next time and we come out, the same thing we're going to do on defense but our offense is going to come back even harder. It's going to work next time, and I'll be ready," said the 6-foot-1 senior.
Leading 21-19 at halftime, Glenbrook South was up 33-27 early in the fourth quarter on an inside basket by the Northern Illinois-bound Blumenfeld, who led the Spartans with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Paced by Glenbrook South point guard Sidney Rogers' repeated drives to the basket and a big 3 from freshman guard Gina Davorija, a 13-3 run had the Titans leading 40-36 with 1:28 left in the fourth quarter.
Glenbrook North answered with 3-pointers from Alexis Myers and Abby Burnham to lead 44-42 with 35 seconds to play in regulation time.
Rogers again dribbled in for an uncontested layup just inside the horn to send the game into overtime tied 44-44. Twice in the final 14.5 seconds Glenbrook North missed the front end of one-and-one free-throw opportunities.
Rogers scored 12 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter despite hitting the floor with cramps in her left calf.
"The first half for us shots weren't really falling, so second half we really were focused on not getting down on ourselves for the first half and just picking it up in the second half," she said.
In overtime, single free throws by Myers and Blumenfeld sent Glenbrook North ahead 46-44. With 31 seconds of extra basketball remaining Davorija swished a 3 near the top of the key for a 47-46 Glenbrook South lead. She scored 14 points, 12 in the second half.
"When it's chaotic and it's loud and the pressure's on you sort of can't just run what you want to run, and the girls just kind of rise to the occasion," Nemecek said. "I think their girls did and I think we did, too. That's why it was a three-point game."
Myers scored 11 points for Glenbrook North, which also got a lift by senior Jaden De Guzman's three 3-point baskets.
"We have a lot of girls that can shoot the 3, but tonight she was stroking it. I was very happy to see that," said Glenbrook South coach Nick Capalbo.
He'll also be happy when Jan. 7 rolls around for another crack at the Titans in Glenview.
"It could have gone any way tonight. Every time we play GBS it's going to be a great game," Capalbo said. "It was a lot of fun. We're excited to see them next time at their place."