Saxons seniors set the tempo

If the first half of Tuesday evening's game against Rolling Meadows is any indication, coach Bill Murmann and his Schaumburg girls basketball team are going to be a tough task for any opponent in the Mid-Suburban League this season.

Holding Meadows without a field goal in the first two quarters of play, Schaumburg jumped out to an early lead during a 58-34 crossover victory over the Mustangs.

According to senior captains Kylie Castans and Drewann Pancratz, this is just the start of a senior year they and the other seniors have been preparing for since their middle school days.

"There is a solid group of five seniors who have been playing together since sixth grade," Pancratz said. "We've always been talking about our senior year. We really want to make a statement."

The Saxons' statement was heard loud and clear by those in attendance Tuesday night at Meadows, as Pancratz and Castans split 28 points.

"In the past, we've played to our opponent's tempo, but this year we are establishing our own tempo and making them play to our style," Castans said.

Castans, a 5-10 forward, led her team in rebounding and steals, finishing with 7 rebounds and 3 steals.

Leading 20-6 after the first quarter, the Saxons appeared calm and collected as they ran the court with efficiency throughout the entire first half, cruising to a 33-8 halftime advantage.

The Saxons appeared quicker with the ball than their counterparts, setting up Schaumburg for easy layups and uncontested jump shots.

While Castans and Pancratz anchored the Schaumburg attack, the Saxons also received solid efforts on both ends of the court from seniors Gabrielle Blackwell (8 points, 3 rebounds) and Gryte Satas (6 points, 2 rebounds).

Murmann, though pleased with the outcome of the game, was quick to point out he must prepare his team for tighter games down the road.

"Our seniors are very mentally strong," Murmann said. "While it's very nice (to have a large lead), we realize it's not the way it's going to happen every game."

The Mustangs, seemingly re-energized after the half, outscored Schaumburg 16-13 in the third quarter, doubling their first half output in only eight minutes of second-half action.

The Saxons' substantial lead, however, was too much for Rolling Meadows. The Mustangs got an impressive shooting night from senior guard Liezl Aluquin (14 points, 3 rebounds).

"(In the second half) we finally started doing the things we had talked about, executing offensively and playing good strong defense," said Mustangs assistant coach Elizabeth Robinson.

"A slow start has been a problem for us all year, but our girls continued to play hard."