Grayslake North presses the issue, handles Mundelein

Grayslake North's pressure defense proved too much.

The Knights helped force Mundelein into 30 turnovers en route to a 62-30 win in second-round action of Mundelein's Thanksgiving girls basketball tournament Tuesday night.

"It really was a great team win," Grayslake North coach Rob Nicoletti said. "We played really hard and knew that we were up for a test. We were really focused starting the game, and the players did a great job.

"Team defense is our focus because of our athleticism," Nicoletti added. "We're trying to play in-your-face half-court defense and pressure as much as we can on the perimeter. Two games in, a great job so far."

Grayslake North (2-0) was led by Sidney Lovitsch with 16 points and 7 rebounds. Brandi Thibeaux added 14 points and 3 steals.

"Our defense leads us into our offense," Lovitsch said. "We get steals and fastbreaks. We've been working really hard in practice as a team. We're always talking on the court. Everyone tried to get into the passing lanes to go for the steal. Everyone knows how to get after the point guards."

Grayslake North used its defensive quickness at the end of the opening quarter to take control. The Knight broke open an 8-8 tie with a 9-2 run capped off by Thibeaux's layup for a 17-10 lead.

The Knights later had a13-5 run that Lovitsch capped with a layup to make the score 30-15 with two minutes left in the second quarter. The Knights led 33-17 at the break.

Grayslake North increased its lead to 47-19 by the end of the third quarter.

Amy Richards led Mundelein (1-1) with 16 points and 5 rebounds.

"I think that we're going through this learning process," Mundelein coach Martin Pazanin said. "A lot of these girls haven't been in this situation before. We played great in our opening game with a bunch of energy and effort. We just talked about part of culture is consistency. We'll learn from it and move forward."