Prospect 44, Hersey 37

Prospect sisters Alyssa and Lexi Glennon have been playing organized basketball since the third grade.

They started in the Arlington Heights Youth Basketball Association, then continued on to the Prospect feeder team.

Now this year Alyssa, a junior, and Lexi, a sophomore, are playing together for the first time on the Knights' varsity squad.

And judging from their performance Friday night against host Hersey, it looks the Glennon sisters show could be a hit for awhile.

Each Glennon made big play after big play down the stretch, and senior teammate Megan Murray scored a game-high 14 points as Prospect broke open a close contest to win 44-37 in the Mid-Suburban East.

A 14-4 Knights run to open the fourth quarter made a winner of Prospect assistant coach Jackie Wentink, who took over the head coaching reins for this game. Prospect head coach Martha Kelly was unavailable for the game due to 2 technical fouls she received Tuesday night in the Knights' loss to Wheeling.

"It was nerve-wracking," said Wentink of the head-coaching assignment, "but I knew the girls could to it.

"Martha had them well prepared all week."

Now back to the Glennons.

In one stretch during the fourth quarter with Prospect clinging to a 1-point lead, first Lexi canned a clutch 3-pointer, then Alyssa rebounded a miss, was fouled and sank 2 free throws.

Next Lexi hit a jumper, Alyssa made a steal on the other end, and Lexi made 2 more foul shots.

A layup from Murray followed and all of a sudden Prospect (14-9, 5-3) had a 10-point lead with 1:11 remaining.

"In the second half we were more patient," said Alyssa Glennon, who finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds as the Knights rallied from an early 9-point deficit. "We weren't forcing our shots, and we were reversing the ball."

"This game was a lot of fun," said Lexi Glennon (12 points), who says she enjoys playing alongside her sister. "It's like we have intuition -- we know where each other is going to be."

Hersey, led by 12 points from freshman Megan Rogowski, had the lead for much of the first three quarters but went cold in the fourth, missing all 7 of its 3-point attempts.

But according to coach Mary Fendley, it was what happened after the misfires bounced off the rim that told the tale.

"It was the same thing the whole game," said Fendley. "We didn't even look to rebound the basketball."

"In our first game against Prospect this year we had more than 20 offensive rebounds. Tonight we didn't have 20 rebounds total."