Nothing odd about even matchup for MSL title

The Mid-Suburban League East winner hosts the league's girls basketball title game in the odd-numbered years.

This season's battle between host Hersey and West champion Fremd looks quite even.

Fremd and Hersey sport identical 22-6 overall records and have been ranked very close to each other in the polls all season.

Today at 7:30 p.m., one of the two area powerhouses will hold the trophy for the 38th annual MSL crown as the two teams meet for the first time this season at the Huskies' Ken Carter Gymnasium in Arlington Heights.

"It's nice to be at home," said Huskies coach Mary Fendley, whose team also was at home when it won the MSL crown in 2005 over Palatine.

"Our fans have been really good all season so it's nice they get this opportunity for our last home game."

Fremd had the chance to host a year ago and fell to three-time defending champ Wheeling.

The Vikings picked up where they left off and have won 15 straight games, including a perfect 10-0 run this season in West games.

Hersey went 9-1 in the East this season, falling in its final game to Buffalo Grove.

Senior 5-foot-10 all-state guard Megan Rogowski, Hersey's all-time leading scorer with more than 2,100 points, scored 30 points in that last game despite playing only three quarters because of foul trouble.

"She is a special player, but they have more than just Megan Rogowski," said Fremd coach Dave Yates. "You've got to hope to contain her. I don't think you can stop her."

Not many teams have. The DePaul-bound senior is averaging 23 points a game and struck for a school-record 42 against both Buffalo Grove and Wheaton North.

"I'm not sure there's too much Megan can't do," Fendley said. "But Fremd is so strong defensively, we know we need to have other players ready to score other than she. It's hard to hold Megan down, but that doesn't mean she'll score 30 like she did our last two games.

"And we've learned if she does score 30, we can still lose a game."

That supporting cast for Rogowski includes senior Eileen Zydek. junior point guard Jen Hall, junior forward Maggie Hogen and senior forward Stefanie Mueller. Each of them averages 6-7 points a game.

Senior Michaela Dwyer and junior Corinne Busby are first off the bench for Hersey.

Scoring for Fremd comes in many directions.

The starting five players of sophomore Ashley McConnell, junior Jessi Wiedemann, senior Jaimie Groot, senior Megan Gray and senior Bridget Kubis average between 13 and 6 points.

Seniors Sarah Power and Megan Horn and sophomore Carrie Wagner have been key reserves.

"They have weapons all over the court," Fendley said. "And we've heard how tough their defense is. You can't focus on one aspect of their game. They don't have any glaring weaknesses. You have to play a well-rounded game on all ends of the floor against them."

The Huskies, who won the Wheaton North and Season's End tourneys this season, are looking to bounce back from a 67-58 setback to BG last Friday night.

"Despite that loss, over the past few weeks we have learned what things are successful for us and what things are not," Fendley said. "With the end of the season coming up and high-stakes games, hopefully we can put things together and be effective on both ends of court."

The height advantage goes to the Vikings with the 6-foot-1 Gray and Wiedemann, who is also one of the league's top 3-point shooters.

Hersey's tallest players are the 5-foot-11 Hogen and Mueller.

"They definitely have a height advantage," Fendley said. "But we'll try to rebound tough. Sometimes toughness is more important than height. We'll try to get good position."

Fendley would prefer an up-tempo game.

"It would be nice to have a high-scoring game," she said. "But that's hard to do against their defense. We do tend to be more successful the higher scoring game it is."

Fremd took fourth place at the Dundee Crown Charger Classic and was undefeated in the D-C Thanksgiving tourney.

Eight different girls have hit 3-pointers for Fremd this season.

"Hersey can shoot 3s, too," Yates said. "Shooting 3s makes us tougher to guard but they can sometimes make or break you. You can't rely on them to win.

"The nice thing is these kids are just mentally tough and know how to win, and that makes them fun to coach. You can't really just pinpoint, defense, offense or any one thing with us."

But Yates can pinpoint one thing that makes this year's team successful.

"They are easily the closest bunch I have coached," he said. "They don't care who the high scorer is. They just enjoy each other's company.

"That's what makes them so unique. They probably have more fun at the team lunches and dinners than playing the games. And in today's society, that's tough to pull off."