Glenbard S. starts quest for conference crown
The north wall of the Glenbard South gym tells you all you need to know about the Raiders' girls basketball prowess: back-to-back regional championships the last two seasons were the first since repeat titles in the mid-1980s.
The 2010 version, hoping to add a more coveted title to its resume, is off to a 7-0 start following a 55-38 win Thursday night over Timothy Christian in the Metro Suburban Conference opener for both schools.
“It hasn't been done and we want to do it for the first time in school history,” said 6-foot-4 senior Nevena Markovic about winning a conference championship.
“It is definitely something we are looking to do,” Raiders coach Julie Fonda said. “We take seriously each conference game, and it being a new conference, you can't take anyone for granted. That's our mentality this year.”
Markovic, whose position says “center,” but the word really describes her role in the school's recent success, led the Raiders with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals and 4 assists.
“She does all the things you see her do, but she does all the intangibles also,” Fonda said. “She's kind of our heart and soul as well. She can see the floor phenomenally for a 6-4 kid. Normally, the post players aren't very skilled at seeing the cuts, and she has a huge basketball IQ.”
The Trojans (3-2, 0-1) dug a bit of a hole early, committing 9 turnovers in the first quarter and 14 in the first half while succumbing to the Raiders' full-court press where Markovic defended the inbounder.
“When you give a 6-4 player easy layups or a team as good as they are easy buckets, it doesn't help you going forward,” Trojans coach Ryan DeKoekkoek said. “It's a little tough to swallow a little bit. I thought we could have played a whole lot better, but give credit where it's due, and they're a very good team and very balanced.”
Tessa Bosman had 11 points for Timothy Christian, while Cassidy Block kicked in 10, but the Trojans could pull no closer than 8 points after the initial deficit.
Junior forward Patrice Hicks scored 17 points for Glenbard South and came up huge when Markovic left in the third quarter in foul trouble.
“It's nice,” said Fonda about having such a versatile team. “I don't have a kid who just plays a ‘five' or plays a ‘four.' We're not limited to that. ... They're a great group of kids and they refuse to lose and, at this point, it's been helpful for us.”