Rams' tough 'D' not enough

During the first four minutes of play Wednesday night, the Grayslake Central girls basketball team and visiting Dundee-Crown combined for 0 points and 10 turnovers.

The rest of the quarter was a blur, with both teams draining 3-pointers and scoring points in the paint. Dundee-Crown was ahead 14-13 after one quarter and neither team led by more than six points the rest of the way.

Dundee-Crown went ahead 42-40 on a basket by senior center Kate-Leigh Pilson with a little more than a minute remaining. The Chargers hung on for a 45-40 victory.

"Our kids responded on the road and showed some moxie," Dundee-Crown coach Joe Komaromy said. "We played better once we cut down on the unforced turnovers."

Pilson scored a game-high 18 points, despite playing with a bruised knee and a sore wrist.

"I tried not to think too much about it," Pilson said. "It affected me mostly on free throws, so I (really) had to focus."

Senior guard/forward Robyn Staudenmaier scored 11 points and hit two of the Chargers' four 3-pointers. Dundee-Crown's ability to score inside and from behind the arc put pressure on the Rams' defense.

"That's a neat combination to have," Komaromy said. "There's a lot we can do with that."

The Chargers improved to 5-2, while Grayslake Central dropped to 1-5.

Grayslake Central played its best basketball in the second quarter, limiting the Chargers to 4 points. The Rams led 22-18 at halftime.

"Our defense was really good," Rams coach Roger Lass said. "They're a good team; we just didn't finish the game."

Grayslake Central senior center Erin Claxton played her best game of the season. She scored a team-high 13 points.

"She had her hands full with some big girls but she played well," Lass said. "She made shots and was aggressive."

Grayslake Central freshman guard Alexandria Scarbro and freshman forward Kathryn Dickson provided a spark for the Rams.

"They were going for loose balls and leading us on some breaks," Lass said. "They really gave us a lift."

Claxton said the Rams are not discouraged.

"We've been playing tough teams," she said. "That will make us stronger at the end of the season."