Frosh duo spark Vernon Hills victory

Vernon Hills’ girls basketball team got strong efforts again from freshmen Lauren Webb and Sydney Smith on Thursday night.

Webb scored 15 points, and Smith added 9 points and 8 rebounds, as the Cougars defeated host North Chicago 62-45 in North Suburban Prairie Division action.

Junior guard Abby Springer contributed 11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals for Vernon Hills (5-1, 2-0). Meri Bennett-Swanson tallied 9 points for the Cougars and Ikie Ostrovsky had seven.

Mundelein 52, Crystal Lake South 47: Olivia Dunigan scored 24 points for the visiting Mustangs in the nonconference game.

Mundelein also received 7 points apiece from twins Amanda and Taylor Davis.

Cary-Grove 56, Antioch 35: Andi Potkonjak scored 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, for the Sequoits.

Antioch fell to 2-5 with its fourth straight loss.

Woodstock North 47, Round Lake 41: The visitors improved to 6-1, despite 17 points from the Panthers’ Chanae Brown.

Round Lake (4-3) also got 10 points from Krystal Pitts.

Highland Park 63, Maine West 45: The Maine West and Highland Park girls basketball teams traded baskets like they were going out of style in the first half Thursday night in Des Plaines.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, most of the baskets in the second half were leaving the hands of the Giants.

Nursing a slim 29-28 lead at the break, Highland Park outscored the hosts 34-17 in the final two periods en route to a 63-45 triumph in the Central Suburban North opener.

“I thought Maine West was really aggressive and getting all the rebounds in the first half,” said Giants 5-foot-7 sophomore guard Lena Munzer, who collected her fourth double-double of the season with a career-high 25 points and 14 rebounds.

John Leusch