Lach's love of game brings her back

While her career point total was going up and up toward four digits, Katie Lach's enthusiasm for the game she adores was going in the other direction.

So the Carmel Catholic senior, a varsity basketball starter since her freshman year and a member of three regional-championship teams, considered something that seemed so un-Katie-Lach-like.

She thought about not playing her final year of high school.

"Basketball is something I love so much," Lach said. "I've been playing it since I was so young. But at some point, too much of something is not good. It was starting to get in my head. I didn't have the fire that I used to have, and I just felt like I needed to take a step back."

So she took whole summer off. She chilled at home. She went to a wedding in southern Illinois.

She recharged her battery.

"It was definitely a gamble because I knew that I wouldn't be getting the work that everyone else was," Lach said. "I worked out a little bit, but I did take most of the time off. In the end, I honestly think it was good for me."

The proof is in her smile and effort on the court this season. Her game-high 19 points, including 17 in the first half, and 7 steals led Carmel to a 48-26 win over host Marian Central in the Corsairs' East Suburban Catholic Conference opener on Thursday night. Last Sunday, the 5-foot-10 sweet-shooting guard scored her 1,000th point on a pair of free throws against Providence Catholic.

Welcome back, even though she never technically left.

"I'm feeling better than ever," said Lach, whose effort against Marian Central put her career point total at 1,025 and hiked Carmel's record to 8-2. "I'm super happy that I decided to play."

So is Corsairs coach Ben Berg.

"Katie has always been a fun-loving, young person that loves to play and compete at the game of basketball," Berg said. "Her athletic quickness at both ends of the floor has been an asset to our success the last three years."

While Lach might be best known as a basketball player for her ability to shoot and produce offense - she averaged 16.8 points in four postseason games last season, as the Corsairs lost to St. Viator in the Class 3A Carmel sectional final - her defense is also quality.

"It's all that tennis stuff," a smiling Berg said of Lach's hand-eye coordination.

"I think that has something to do with it," said Lach, who played varsity tennis this fall. "I think over the years I've gotten better at it, just through practice. My grade-school coaches and high school coaches have always made defense a big part of basketball. You can't play offense without being good at defense."

Against Marian Central, most of Lach's steals led to layups in transition or other quality chances in the paint. With 6-foot-4 freshman Jordan Wood joining 6-3 sophomore Grace Sullivan on the court, and 6-foot senior Kaytlyn Matz back after missing last season with an ACL injury, the Corsairs are taking advantage of their length at the defensive end.

"Grace and Jordan are really good at tips and deflections," Lach said after the Corsairs notched 24 steals against Marian Central (3-7, 0-2). Sullivan and Matz added 9 and 8 points, respectively, and each player had 7 rebounds as well. "We practice and work a lot on transition."

When this season ends, Lach is likely through with basketball. So no wonder she chose to play a fourth season on varsity.

"This is my last opportunity to go out and play," Lach said. "I didn't want to have any regrets."

Her 1,000th points reminds her that she made the right choice.

"It's super cool, considering my life has revolved around basketball," Lach said. "I remember watching my sister (Leah, Carmel Class of 2014) and seeing girls like Kathleen Felicelli scoring her 1,000th (point) and thinking, 'Wow, that's so cool.'

"And now I'm here."

And loving basketball again.