Glenbard South switches things up against Trojans

Julie Fonda knows her Glenbard South team is much more than just Nevena Markovic.

The Raiders proved it Tuesday.

Sarah Engelhardt scored 15 points and No. 15 Glenbard South fought off a tough challenge from Downers Grove North for a 48-38 win at the Rachel Bach Memorial Tournament in Lombard.

Markovic, who averaged more than 21 points a game in Glenbard South's first three wins, was held to 10 Tuesday and took just 8 shots. It didn't stop the Raiders (4-0) from moving closer to their first tournament championship since 2007.

"We're obviously a good team," Fonda said, "and tonight it showed that I have multiple weapons. It's not just all going to be Nevena."

Glenbard South won its fourth straight game by double figures but was in a tussle until the end. The Raiders led 28-19 at the half, but Downers Grove North (2-2) came back to tie it 34-34 a minute into the fourth quarter on an Alison Schuster free throw.

Danielle Chitkowski split two free throws at the other end for Glenbard South. Markovic chased down the missed second shot, and Engelhardt buried a 3-pointer.

"We've been talking about this game all week," Fonda said. "We watched them play the first game of the weekend and (assistant coach Brian) Stiles and I were nervous because they're a good team. They are aggressive, they're active and they communicate incredibly well."

Engelhardt hit 4 free throws in the final minutes to salt away the win. Glenbard South hit 9 of 11 at the line in the fourth quarter.

"We practice free throws a lot in practice," Engelhardt said, "hoping that it will help us in a game like it did tonight."

Schuster scored 9 points, Madeline Boltin 8 and Lisa Lutz 7 for Downers Grove North, which didn't make a shot from the field in the fourth quarter.

Trojans coach Leslie Dehn still had high praise for her girls' fight.

"The one thing about this team, is they're going to battle," Dehn said. "We couldn't hit a shot down the stretch. Our kids executed the gameplan in the third quarter to get back in it. I guess we just ran out of steam at the end."

Patrice Hicks added 5 points and 8 rebounds for Glenbard South, which pulled down 14 offensive boards as a team. The Raiders also held Downers Grove North to 2-of-14 shooting from 3-point range in the last three quarters after the Trojans hit 3 in the first.

"I think we took them out of their game by playing that zone," Fonda said. "They hadn't seen a zone. If they were going to beat us, it was going to be from the 3-point arc. We weren't going to let them beat us inside or driving."