Barrington 52, Palatine 41

You'll forgive Barrington for getting just a little giddy about winning Friday night for only the fifth time in 23 games this season.

After all the depth-challenging injuries and inexperience the Fillies have played through, and all the close games they've let slip away, it felt particularly good to build a lead and maintain it en route to a 52-41 win over Palatine in Mid-Suburban West girls basketball.

"For as hard a year as we've had, they've been a close group of kids," said Barrington coach Babbi Barreiro. They were very close Friday night, especially on defense.

The Fillies (5-18, 2-5) changing zone defenses kept Palatine's sharpshooters off balance (16-of-37 from the floor, 3-of-9 from 3-point range) while Barrington's youthful inside players dominated the boards.

Meanwhile, senior leaders such as Samantha Beach and Michal Jane Maropis kept things steady, combining for 21 points and coming up with key steals, blocked shots and turnovers.

"I think (Michal Jane) was huge. She really had some major-league buckets," said Barreiro.

It helps that Beach, at point for the first time, is doing a consistent job. With Palatine's Katelyn MacFabe and Lauren Orris leading a second-half comeback, Beach stuffed a Sarah Iurio 3-point try and then forced the ensuing loose ball into a Palatine turnover.

Later, she had 2 steals in the fourth quarter after Palatine got within 7 and Maropis (game-high 12 points) converted one of them into a pair of free throws to maintain the comfortable lead.

"We've had so many that we've had get away," said Beach, who called her first year at point guard "challenging" and "unexpected" when Barreiro handed it to her.

"It's a different job for her. She's just doing it," said Barreiro.

Barrington's Emily Harris and Claire Roggeveen dominated around the basket and made it as hard for Palatine to generate good looks inside as Barrington's ever-changing zone defenses made it tough for the Pirates to find the range from outside.

For Palatine (7-16, 1-5), "We counted 28 turnovers," said coach Ron Theberge. "We can't turn the ball over like that. We gave the other team too many chances."

He singled out guard Jessica Rische for aggressively attacking the basket, "But we just made those mistakes. It's frustrating for the girls. It's frustrating for the coaches."