Lake County girls basketball notes: Parker, Palmer teaming up in Wauconda’s fast start

There have been plenty of superlatives that have contributed to Wauconda’s strong 5-1 record, beginning with the contributions of Grace Parker and Sarah Palmer.

Parker leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points, while also averaging more than 4 rebounds, nearly 3 steals and deflections. Parker hit for 30 points (4 threes, 10-for-14 free throws, 5 rebounds) in a 49-48 conference win over Antioch Tuesday that moved the Bulldogs to 2-0 in Northern Lake County action.

Palmer is averaging 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and more than 4 deflections per game.

“Grace continues to be our senior leader. Despite being guarded by the opponent’s top defender, she is still leading us in points,” Wauconda coach Jaime Dennis said. “Sarah is always finding her way into the scoring column and always makes an impact on the defensive end with steals and deflections.”

But the Bulldogs’ fun doesn’t stop there. Emma Wisniewski averages more than 9 rebounds per game and averaged a double-double in the Wauconda-hosted Bob Gillen Memorial at Thanksgiving, while Alexia Manalo leads the team in assists, steals and deflections.

“Emma has been a monster on the boards,” Dennis said. “Alexia does a great job running the team and works so incredibly hard on defense.”

Parker and Wisniewski were Thanksgiving all-tournament picks at Bob Gillen.

Antioch update: Hats off to Heidi Rathmann, who scored her 1,000th career point against Lake Forest Academy in late November.

“That is pretty impressive feat to realize with nearly two full varsity seasons to go,” Antioch coach Jamie D’Andrea said.

Rathmann is averaging 15 points and nearly 5 rebounds a game, while Enza Nawrocki is also playing well, averaging 5.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and playing her best defense in her senior season for the Sequoits (2-5, 1-1).

D'Andrea added she knew sophomore Scarlett Carroll would be an asset to the team, “and she’s proving to be so,” she said. Carroll is averaging 7.2 points and 5 rebounds, while leading the Sequoits in assists and steals.

Carmel update: The Corsairs’ calendar this week is beyond packed. Carmel defeated Hampshire 47-38 at the Lake Zurich Exam Jamm Tuesday and then lost 58-28 to Benet Academy Wednesday in an East Suburban Catholic game. Carmel (4-5, 0-3 ESCC) still has games with Lake Forest and St. Viator to go this week.

Coach Ben Berg noted senior Maia Cordova and junior Josie Hartman are off to hot starts. Both were Maine East Thanksgiving all-tournament selections, while Hartman was named player of the game in the title game there against Glenbrook North and also earned Exam Jamm player of the game accolades against Hampshire.

Grant update: Freshman Sienna Enters has made quite a first impression thus far. Enters, an all-tournament selection at Mundelein Thanksgiving, scored 16 points in a recent game against Round Lake. She averages 9 points and leads the team in blocks and rebounding. “Sienna is definitely one to watch this season,” coach Andrea Weaver noted.

Junior Ryan Kadlec has also been a spark for the Bulldogs. “Ryan is a solid player all around,” Weaver said. “She is in every play, stealing on defense, leading us in assists. She is a great leader on and off the court.”

Senior Madelyn Dunskis also earned all-tournament accolades at Mundelein, where she averaged 6 points and had 15 points in a game against Grayslake North.

Grayslake Central update: Coach Steve Ikenn likes where his team is headed coming off a recent 4-game stretch where the Rams (7-3, 2-0 Northern Lake County) averaged 54 points on 16 assists per game, while giving up an average of only 29 points.

“Over our last 4 games, our offense and defense have been more consistent,” he said.

Madison Hoffmann, a Wisconsin-Green Bay commit and all-tournament at Buffalo Grove Thanksgiving, is averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals and in the team’s game last weekend against Evanston, broke the school’s career assists mark.

“Madison has played a great all-around game,” Ikenn said.

Annie Wolff averages 10 points and 5 rebounds. “Annie has started the season strong,” Ikenn said. “She is playing stellar defense.”

Lakes update: The Eagles are 3-4, 1-1 Northern Lake County after a 59-40 win over Grayslake North Tuesday. Kaylee Anderson, Adey Martin and Kayle Schneider scored in double figures Tuesday had a couple double-double firsts in recent times. Anderson, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding, had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a recent win over Wheeling. It was her first double-double of the season and second of her career.

Freshman Ryan Horvath, who leads the team in steals, logged her first double-double the next night with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Schneider, a senior, is Lakes’ second-leading scorer and top 3-point shooter. Coach Grant Murray lauded the recent play of Schneider and Anderson, who was all-tournament at Maine East Thanksgiving for a second year in a row. “Both seniors put in a lot of time in the offseason and it shows,” he said.

Libertyville update: A busy and competitive early part of the week for the Wildcats, who lost a wild one 59-55 in two overtimes to Prospect at the Lake Zurich Exam Jamm on Tuesday and then turned around 24 hours later Wednesday and downed Stevenson52-25 in a key early North Suburban contest. The Cats sit at 6-4 overall and 3-0 in North Suburban action.

Paramount to Libertyville’s success so far has been the play of Lily Fisher (11.4 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals) and Elinor Lindal (11.6 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2 steals), who both were all-tournament at Buffalo Grove at Thanksgiving.

“Elinor has been aggressive so far in her takes to the basket, and her outside shot provides her with a nice balance,” Libertyville coach Greg Pedersen said. “Lily is a complete player and as teams try more and more to contain her, she has great court vision to find open teammates.”

Sophia Swanson also is off to a hot start, Pedersen noted, shooting 49% from the field.

Mundelein update: Multiple Lake County coaches cited Mundelein’s Casey Vyverman as a player to keep an eye on this season and she has lived up to that billing and then some in the early going.

Vyverman had 30 points (5 threes), 6 rebounds and 4 assists against Saint Viator and the game before hit for 26 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks against Regina Dominican. She’s averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds.

“Casey has been stepping up on both sides of the floor and has been a great leader,” Mundelein coach Sarah Teipel said.

Junior Madelyn Gardner, who was an all-tournament pick along with Vyverman at the Mundelein-hosted Thanksgiving tournament, also has been a key piece to the Mustangs’ puzzle. “Madelyn has brought constant defensive pressure and hustle and does a lot of the little things,” Teipel added.

Mundelein moved to 7-3 overall and 2-1 in North Suburban play with a win over Zion Tuesday.

Round Lake update: Freshman Emma Franks and junior Kaleigh Skowronski have been impact players for the Panthers (3-4, 1-1) thus far. Franks is averaging nearly 9 points and 7 rebounds, while Skowronski is averaging 6.5 points and nearly 9 boards a game. “Emma is finding ways to score and playing hard on both ends of the floor,” Round Lake coach Molly Hennig said.

Skowronski had double-doubles in recent wins against Wheeling and Grant. Lisette Herrera also started strong, earning all-tournament honors at Maine East over Thanksgiving.

Hennig also has been pleased with the Panthers’ scoring balance. “We have multiple people scoring 5-plus points on a given night,” she said. “While we are limited in terms of our height, we have been able to compete on the boards, which has helped us in the beginning of the season.”

Stevenson update: Two key cogs in the early going have been Nisha Musunuri and Alexa Karcz.

Coach Regan Carmichael noted Musunuri hit key free throws in wins over Chicago Philips and Lake Zurich. “Nisha has been such a great leader and influence on our team,” she said. “Her ability to score and defend at a high level is impressive and an integral part of the success of our team.”

Karcz, Carmichael explained, has been tasked with going up against some of the best posts in the area, including Lake Zurich all-North Suburban pick Alex Nowak-Tice.

“Alexa has held her own,” Carmichael said. “She helped hold Alex to well below her season average. She has been very consistent for us and I am impressed with the growth she has already made this season.”

Both Musunuri and Karcz were all-tournament selections over Thanksgiving. Stevenson was 4-3 and 2-1 in North Suburban action after a loss to Libertyville Wednesday.

Vernon Hills update: The Cougars (6-4, 1-1 Central Suburban North) had a busy start to this week with nonconference games against Grayslake North (54-39 win) and Naperville Central (39-38 loss) Tuesday at the Exam Jamm at Lake Zurich.

Coach Paul Brettner has been pleased with the team’s 3-point shooting thus far, noting it has been a nice improvement over a year ago. Brettner also gave high marks to the recent play of Emma Jocson and Keira Thomas.

“Emma has been a great point guard, scorer and rebounder,” he explained. “She makes our team go. Keira has scored and defended well. She is also a very good leader for us.”