Mundelein's 'D' earns 'W'
Mundelein's girls basketball team has a way of turning up its game.
It's all attributed to pressure defense and execution.
The Mustangs cranked it up a notch in the second half against Carmel Catholic on Wednesday night in the championship game of their Turkey Shootout.
Tied with Carmel at halftime, Mundelein went on an incredible 28-2 run and marched past the Corsairs 59-34 to stay undefeated.
Mundelein improved to 5-0, while Carmel dropped to 4-1.
The Mustangs were up 28-26 early in the third quarter, then relled off 24 unanswered points during a 10-minute stretch, doubling up the Corsairs 52-26 with 3:40 remaining in the final quarter.
"We were letting them dictate the pace in the first half," Mundelein coach Brian Evans said. "They like to slow it down and beat us up inside. We didn't want that and we talked about picking up the pressure a little bit. The kids really responded well."
Mundelein hustled after loose balls and its pressure defense flustered Carmel. The Corsairs turned the ball over 15 times during the pivotal second-half stretch and finished with 28 turnovers.
"I knew (Mundelein) would come out and raise the intensity level up," Carmel coach Ben Berg said. "I thought we competed well the first two quarters. We just didn't execute over the last two quarters.
"I thought the pressure wore us down a bit. Mundelein is a very good team and it's a learning experience for us."
Mundelein got its offense clicking from the turnovers, as several players contributed on the scoresheet.
Olivia Dunigan, J.J. Sawchuk and Kelsey O'Connor each scored 10 points, while Toni Knar had 9.
"We weren't getting some shots to fall (early in the third quarter)," Evans said. "I think I turned to (assistant coach) Jeff Harding and said, 'If we can get a few baskets to go down, we can really blow this thing open.' Just after I said that, we hit four shots in a row. The roof kind of exploded and everybody got excited."
During the Mustangs' run, O'Connor hit a 3-pointer that pushed the lead into double digits. Brooke Evans (7 points) followed up with another 3.
"We were concentrating on getting the ball inside against the zone," O'Connor said. "We were also looking to kick the ball out. I just happened to be one to hit the shot."
Knar had 10 rebounds and 3 steals, as well, while Jessi Bjerning pulled down 9 boards.
The Corsairs were led by Tiffany Hendrickson and Lauren Lehocky with 8 points each, all in the first half."
- Rusty Silber
Lake Zurich 60, Dundee-Crown 12: At Dundee-Crown, the Bears cruised thanks to a stingy defensive effort.
Lake Zurich (5-0, 4-0) received 12 points from Maisie Cox and 10 from Amanda Orchard.
Grayslake North 50, Glenbrook North 30: At Mundelein, Lauren Erickson scored 20 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 blocked shots to lead the Knights in their tournament finale.
Grayslake North (2-3, 2-3) led 18-10 after one quarter and was up 27-17 at halftime. The Knights then outscored the Spartans 16-4 in the third quarter.
Ali Vlahos (two 3-pointers) and Kinsey Siler each added 8 points in the win. Siler also had 7 rebounds. Alyssa Smith dished out 5 assists.
Glenbrook North was led by Natalie Jones' 12 points (two 3s).
Rolling Meadows 58, Vernon Hills 48: At Mundelein, Madeline Urban scored 21 points to lead the Mustangs.
Vernon Hills (1-4, 1-4) was paced by Mallory Feece's 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists. She was named to the all-tournament team.
Jamie Rucks contributed 5 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Lake Forest 41, Grant 33: At Deerfield, Maggie Burke scored 12 points to lead the Scouts.
Grant received a game-high 13 points from Amber Potts. Gina Cellucci added 9 on three 3-pointers.