Myslinski's missiles helps Palatine past Crystal Lake South

Loyola women's golf recruit Jenny Myslinski has made more than a few putts of 19 feet or more.

She also knows how to find the target from 19 feet shooting a basketball.

Palatine's senior guard struck for a career-high 23 points, hitting seven baskets from behind the 19.9 feet arc to help lift the Pirates past Crystal Lake South 41-40 in overtime on Friday night at the Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving tournament in Carpentersville.

"I was hitting them (3-pointers) really well in practice," said Myslinski, a state qualifier this fall in golf and three-time sectional qualifier. "And I just executed. I came out pretty hot in the beginning (hitting three of her first four) and I just kept going."

Myslinski's seventh 3-pointer began the scoring in overtime, giving the Pirates a 39-36 lead with 2:50 left.

A free throw junior Kendra Lindell (5 points) made it 40-36 before Gators freshman Brooke Kuffel (15 points) drove for a layup to make it 40-38.

A free throw by Sarah Jasonowicz put the Pirates ahead 41-38 with 23 seconds left.

Krya Swartz' rebound layup got CLS to within 41-40 with 11 seconds left.

After two missed free throws by Palatine, the Gators got one last chance with 4.2 seconds left but Lindell batted away a pass into the hands of teammate Tiana Henderson as time expired.

"With it being our first game of the season, I was pretty pleased with our movement of the basketball," said Pirates coach Mark Johnson, who is also the Pirates boys golf coach. "So it was a nice beginning,"

It began with the Gators (1-0) taking a 3-0 lead but Myslinski's 3-pointer tied the game at 5-5 with 29 seconds left in the first quarter.

"Jenny hitting seven 3-pointers was phenomenal," Johnsons said. "Crystal Lake South plays a lot of zone and we knew that coming in because they have done that in the past.

"Mark (Mucha, Gators coach) just does a good job with that program. He coaches them really well. We figured we'd just keep moving the ball and try to get it to Jenny on the weak side. And she just kept knocking them down. That was fun."

Johnson said Myslinski has been "great" shooting the 3-pointers in practice.

"She put the putter away and got to work on the jumper," he said. "She has been doing great in practice and it's paying off."

It was a 3-pointer by senior Sarah Jasonowicz (8 points) that gave Palatine its first lead at 8-7 with 4:41 left in the first half.

Myslinski's 3-pointer sent the Pirates into the locker room leading 13-12 at intermission.

"For a team playing its first game, you don't expect a kid to come into the gym and shoot that well," Mucha said of Myslinski's big night. "So hats off to her. She played great. To me, that's midseason in game one. Credit to Palatine for finding our weakness and taking advantage."

Jasonowicz' bucket with 2:28 left in regulation gave Palatine its biggest lead of the game at 36-31.

But the Gators got a driving layup from junior Maddie Bush (11 points) and a 3-pointer from Kuffel with 13 seconds left to tie the game at 36, the score leading into overtime.

"We were working well offensively," Johnson said. "We just couldn't make a shot and that was part of the problem. Then we were getting to the free throw line and missing our free throws (5-of-18). Obviously, we need to do better at that."

Sydney Rzepka played a strong game under the boards. The 5-foot-11 senior collected more than handful of rebounds, including two in a row in the first quarter followed by 2 steals. She also had a key putback which gave the Pirates their biggest lead of the third quarter at 18-14.

"Palatine played great and executed," Mucha said. "They are very well coached. Coming into the game we knew they had a bunch of kids who could shoot the ball. I felt if we stopped their dribble and penetration, they would not be able to drive and kick the ball out to those open people. That was our defensive plan."

The Pirates had a long time to plan for their opener, being the last Mid-Suburban League girls basketball team to start the season.

"We had like 16 practices," Myslinski said. "So we came prepared."

Myslinski was especially prepared at the 3-point line.

"Making a long putt and hitting a 3-pointer both feel good," she said. "But the 3-pointer in this environment is awesome."