Perfect start continues for Grayslake North

Another game, another win.

Another defense for Grayslake North’s girls basketball team.

The Knights, who are off to the best start in their history, improved to 4-0 in Mundelein’s Thanksgiving tournament with a 48-32 win over Prairie Ridge on Friday. Grayslake North can wrap up the championship today, when it faces Grant at 3 p.m. in finale-round action of the tourney.

“I love this team,” said senior Emily Stinner, who came off the bench to hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second half to help the Knights to pull away. “We click so well. It’s nice that we can go so deep into the bench and play so many players, not just the five starters.”

And it seems whatever combination of players first-year Knights coach Nate Flannery puts on the floor, his team delivers defensively.

“It’s been different (defenses),” Flannery said. “We’ve played man to man and have done a pretty good job, then we did a trapping defense and did a good job. Today we switched a lot of screens because (Prairie Ridge) ran flex, and we handled that. Like I told the girls, it’s a credit to them because a lot of teams can’t play that many different (defenses), especially in the first week of the season. They have a high basketball IQ knowing that they’re able to pull that off.”

“Usually teams play one (defense),” Stinner said.

Veteran guard Jordyn Bowen, Grayslake North’s defensive leader in the backcourt, scored a game-high 16 points. Junior newcomers Brittney Thibeaux and Emily Dugan added 8 points apiece. Thibeaux and fellow 6-footer Joanna Guhl have also been key players defensively for the Knights, who have allowed an average of just 35 points in their four games.

Grayslake North led only 18-17 at halftime, before outscoring the Wolves 20-9 in the third quarter. The Knight allowed only 6 points in the fourth.

“Even if (offensive players) get by our guards — which they’re having difficulty doing — we have two 6-footers down there who are waiting for them,” Flannery said.

Stinner’s pair of 3s accounted for her 6 points. Guhl also had 6 points.