Panthers are still purr-fect
Gary Edge isn't on edge.
Which might help give his Round Lake girls basketball team an edge.
The longtime coach is simply enjoying the moment, while at the same time keeping perspective. Edge knows his undefeated Panthers have a long way to go and even if they reach their potential, still might not be good enough to dethrone Grant as the top team in the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division.
"I've been at this long enough that I know you respect the win," Edge said. "You don't know where the next one's coming and you don't know how long it'll be. I've had groups where a win was a very precious thing."
Take three seasons ago. Round Lake finished 1-28.
With their 66-37 rout of visiting Antioch on Saturday, the Panthers improved to 7-0, including 2-0 in the NSC Prairie.
Which doesn't mean they're in seventh heaven.
"Even though we understand that we could have done LOTS of things better, at the end of the day we're very happy to be in the position we're at," Edge said. "Six-and-one is nice, but 7-0 is better. It beats 0-7. Been there, too."
Labrenthia Murdock arrived at Round Lake the year following that one-win season, and the Panthers have slowly gotten better. They won 9 games in Murdock's freshman season and then manufactured 14 victories and a winning season last winter.
Murdock scored a season-high 21 points against Antioch. The returning all-area player also collected 8 rebounds and 3 steals.
"Our team's better, and I think she's a better basketball player than she was last year," Edge said of his 5-foot-9 guard. "She really put the time in over the summer to become a better basketball player."
Two other three-year varsity starters also had productive days for the Panthers. Junior post Amber Phillips had 14 points and 7 rebounds, while senior guard Brittany Kucia contributed 12 points (two 3-pointers) and 7 boards.
"She doesn't need to score for her to play well," Edge said of Kucia, "because here's what she does for us: She can handle the ball, she can pass the ball, she can shoot the ball, she can take the ball off the dribble, and she can get on the offensive and defensive boards."
Murdock opened the scoring by swishing a 3. She finished with 7 points in the first quarter, helping the Panthers jump out to a 13-8 lead.
They then outscored the Sequoits 15-3 in the second quarter, as Murdock hit 3 more shots from the floor.
"We matched their intensity the first quarter," Antioch coach Tim Borries said. "Then we lost our intensity. We didn't hit some shots, and that's tough. If you're not making shots, and playing defense the whole game, that's tough for a team to do."
Freshman guard Andi Potkonjak scored 13 points to lead Antioch (1-6, 0-2). Brittany Deem and Allie Anttila added 9 and 8 points, respectively, and Christine Gaborek grabbed 10 rebounds.
Round Lake helped force Antioch into 22 turnovers.
"They have the right pieces to the puzzle," Borries said of the Panthers. "They have height, they have the ball-handling, they have shooters. They have a complete team."