Warriors' Begrowicz bounces back from injury

Maine West's Brittany Begrowicz made quite a first impression on the local girls basketball scene.

As a freshman, playing in the Warriors' season opener four years ago, Begrowicz scored a game-high 21 points to help lead her girls basketball team past visiting Palatine.

Maine West Hall of Fame coach Derril Kipp can't recall a Warrior freshman scoring that many points in a season-opener in his 27 seasons.

Begrowicz went on to show that her varsity debut was far from a fluke.

For the past two seasons, she has been selected to the Daily Herald All-Area team.

While her basketball skills have been remarkable, perhaps one of her most impressive feats is that she has been able to play at all.

Just seven months ago, Begrowicz underwent knee surgery after tearing her ACL in a summer league game at Maine West.

"I don't know how she came back so soon," said teammate and fellow classmate Colleen Vana, who was on the floor when Begrowicz suffered the injury. "I thought she'd be out at least six months."

So did Kipp, who was hoping to have her back by the first of the year.

Instead, she wound up playing her first minutes in the Warriors' second game this season against Moline on Nov. 17.

"It's amazing how with some of the knee surgeries the kids are able to come back much faster today than in the past," Kipp said. "It was a tremendous boost to our team's confidence getting Brittany back in the lineup after limited playing time at the start of the season."

Teammate Erin Baumstark also emphasized the importance of Begrowicz returning so soon.

"They were saying maybe she'd be back for the Dundee-Crown tournament (Dec. 26)," Baumstark said. "And then she ends up back on our Thanksgiving tourney. She is such a big part of our team being a four-year varsity starter. "We were almost worried about how we would adjust without her out there, but then with her returning so soon, we didn't have too worry.

"It's almost harder losing Sam (Acosta, who is expected back next week from broken hand) because she had been playing with us for so much of the season and then all of a sudden you have to adjust without her."

Begrowicz has been progressing right along and last week enjoyed her finished stretch of the season leading West in three straight games with 19 (New Trier), 17 (Glenbrook North) and 18 points (Lyons Township), respectively.

"I could tell Brittany sometimes got frustrated with the fact she couldn't do some of things she was able to do last year," Kipp said. "I know it takes more time to come back mentally and get yourself back into the same way you played in the past."

Slowly but surely, Begrowicz has gotten back to being close to where she was physically as an-area sophomore and junior.

"For the most part I am there," she said. "I'm starting to get everything back. Every once in a while there's a little pain."

Usually it's Begrowicz who is inflicting the pain on the opponents.

The 5-foot-10 power forward is averaging 14 points (221 points in 16 games) for the 15-5 Warriors.

She is shooting 74 percent from the line (53-for-73) and is pulling down 6.8 rebounds.

"Brittany is a 78 percent free throw shooter," Kipp said. "Because of the knee, she was a little off balance when she was shooting. I was really happy with three shots she made from 15 feet and longer against New Trier (last week). She showed she is starting to get her balance and footwork back. She is just getting back to the form where she was last year. Her last three games have been very good and that's a good sign for us."

Begrowicz started developing her basketball skills in the second grade when her mother Jo Ann signed her up for park district basketball.

Brittany could not have had a much better tutor for the game than her mother, an all-stater for St. Scholastica High School and a dominant post player for the DePaul's women's team (three-time time rebounding leader and scoring leader her senior year) that was coached by Jo Ann's father, Ron Ferieressel.

Ron also played at DePaul and was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers.

Jo Ann, who is a member of the DePaul, IBCA and GCAC Halls of Fame, coached her daughter Brittany on fourth to eighth grade teams at St. Emily in Mount Prospect.

Brittany's father Brian also coached his son, Brian Jr., at St. Emily. Brian Jr. played for the Maine West varsity and now is studying business at Indiana University.

Brittany plans to study education and become a coach but she has not decided where she will attend college.

For now, she is thankful to be able to be playing her senior year after the knee injury she suffered June 28 against Maine East.

On July 16, she underwent surgery in Chicago.

"I never thought I'd be back for the start of the season," she said. "I went to physical therapy five times a week and twice a day at the AthletiCo in Niles."

It paid off because Begrowicz has been able to enjoy another banner season for the Warriors, who are leading the Central Suburban North with a 5-0 record. Not to mention, for the first time in her four-year varsity career, the Warriors have defeated Maine South and New Trier.

And, of course, the seasoned veteran has played a key role in all of the success.

"Defense is my favorite part of the game,' she said. "I don't know why. I just like it."

Coincidentally, it was her offense that made everyone notice her four years ago when she introduced herself to Maine West basketball with 21 points against visiting Palatine.

"I was really nervous," Brittany recalled. "I wasn't sure about the competition and didn't know what to expect."

"Brittany was able use her skills and get the ball inside and score a lot of points," Kipp remembered about that debut. "And I think she got fouled a lot and made a lot of free throws."

And that game was just a hint at what was to come.

Last year, Begrowicz scored 446 points -- ranking 12th on Maine West's all-time single-season list -- in her second straight all-area season.

"I didn't even know what all-area was (as a freshman)," Begrowicz said. "Mr. Kipp is always trying to make us a better."

Begrowicz would like to be doing that one day as a coach herself.

What has she learned in four years?

"You just have to work hard at what you're doing," she said. "And you have to want to do it."

And Begrowicz certainly lived up those words in her four years in Des Plaines.