Bauer sisters, Lake Zurich shoot down Warren
As a setter in volleyball, senior Lydia Bauer often set up her younger sister, junior Audrey Bauer, for kill attempts.
On the basketball court, the roles can reverse.
Audrey Bauer's pinpoint passing from the post can lead to open 3-pointers for her big sister.
That was certainly the case Monday against Warren in the North Suburban Conference Lake Division opener for both teams.
Lydia Bauer scored a game-high 22 points, thanks in part to her sister's passing, and Lake Zurich pulled away in the second half for a 49-33 victory.
Audrey Bauer, a 6-foot forward, leads the Bears (6-0) in assists per game. Against Warren, she had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Her ability to reverse the ball from the post to the other wing makes it hard on defenses to react quickly enough.
"I take (pride) in my passing," Audrey Bauer said. "I kn ow a lot of (Lydia's) shots are dependent on good passing, and when I kick it out it's hard for (defenses) to fly out to the shooter."
Lake Zurich coach Chris Bennett said Audrey Bauer contributes quietly in all phases of the game.
"She's the one nobody notices but she's a steady player," he said. "She's always where she needs to be."
Throughout the first quarter, it looked as if Lake Zurich would have an easy time of it against Warren (1-5). The Bears led 17-4 after eight minutes, but the game tightened up in the sec ond quarter when Warren switched to a zone defense.
Lake Zurich became impatient and started turning the ball over. The Blue Devils converted those turnovers into fast-break points. A wrap-around bounce pass by freshman Amanda Barger led to a layup by senior Joree Green. Green's basket cut Warren's deficit to 23-12 and forced a Lake Zurich timeout.
The Blue Devils continued their comeback and trailed 27-22 at halftime.
"This was the first good 2-3 zone we've seen this year," Bennett said.
Warren has played this type of basketball in spurts during a season-opening stretch where five of its first six opponents were ranked in the area or state.
"We need to play with a lot more consistency," Warren coach John Stanczykiewicz said. "When (we do), we'll be a tough team."
The bulk of Warren's scoring came courtesy of sophomore Morgan Garrett (12 points) and senior Joree Green (11 points).
Garrett was an all-tournament selection at the New Trier Thanksgiving Tournament.
"(Garrett) reminds me a lot of Lory Shaw (UW-Green Bay) when she was a sophomore," Stanczykiewicz said.
In the second half, the Bears did a much better job of attacking Warren's zone.
"We focused more on getting layups," senior guard Olivia Allen said.
In addition to her 22 points, Lydia Bauer had 9 rebounds and 4 steals. She put pressure on Warren's defense by converting from behind the 3-point line and driving for layups.
"Lydia has learned how to score whenever we need a basket," Bennett said.