Glenbard South youngsters show progress
After being doubled up by Glenbard North back on Nov. 23, Glenbard South got its chance at a rematch in Monday's opening-round matchup of the 32nd annual Bill Neibch Falcon Holiday Classic.
And at the tournament hosted by Wheaton North High School, the young Raiders showed just how much progress they have made in a month, pulling out a 41-35 victory. Glenbard South improved to 6-4 while advancing to take on Downers Grove North.
"We are a completely different team," said Payton Carli, one of only two seniors on the roster. "The growth from a couple of weeks ago is crazy. It feels good to beat them, especially with how poorly the last game (a 36-18 loss) went. This shows we are improving."
Carli scored 13 points to lead the Raiders, who pulled away in the fourth quarter after entering the period tied at 19. A pair of free throws by sophomore Sarah Cohen gave them the lead for good, and the margin eventually swelled to 10 after a pair of 3-pointers from Mady Carli.
The Panthers hit three 3s, with Jennifer Deegan, Lauren Lee and Leah Miller all connecting from long range, to slice the deficit to 39-35 before Glenbard South hit a couple of free throws to account for the final margin.
"They are doing a better job," Glenbard South coach Morgan Kasperek said. "At the end they were able to take care of the ball and make the right passes. We finished the game very well.
"We start mostly freshmen and sophomores and there is a lot of maturing to do. But every game they are playing a little bit better and I hope it is giving them some confidence."
Sophomores Ally Daca and Mady Carli had 8 points apiece, and freshman Maggie Bair finished with 5 points and 8 rebounds.
Glenbard North (7-5) was led by the 15 points of Deegan, 10 of which came in the fourth. The senior also had 9 rebounds. Miller and Lee totaled 7 points each and Zakiya Newsome contributed 5 steals. The Panthers next take on Waubonsie Valley in the consolation bracket at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
"We've got to figure out who we are," Glenbard North coach John Chamberlain said. "We can be a team that beats Geneva and we can be a team that turns around and loses tonight."