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Glenbard North finds new scorers in girls basketball win

Glenbard North has a different look this season, and it does not include all-DuPage Valley Conference selection Jennifer Deegan shouldering the scoring load.

Sophomore Leah Miller scored 17 points, sophomore Lauren Lee added 14 and veteran junior Zakiya Newsome added 13 points, including three free throws in the final 3:10 as the Panthers rallied from an early 7-point deficit to defeat Willowbrook 55-51 Tuesday in Villa Park.

"Deegan has a new role," Glenbard North coach John Chamberlain said. "She's learning a new position. There are more scorers around her this year. She was our only option a couple of years ago. To her credit, she only forced maybe one possession. She can be a facilitator. She can do a lot of other things."

Deegan contributed 4 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists before exiting with 5 fouls with 5:16 remaining and her team clinging to a 47-46 lead. But junior guard Kelssie Kraabel scored twice in the final 1:48, including a putback of a missed free throw with 8.8 seconds remaining to give Glenbard North a 4-point cushion.

"We have a couple of new sophomores who came up to help us," said Newsome, a three-year starter. "They are very good additions to the team. Both are shooters. We just have to be patient and confident with the ball, slow down and play our game that we know how to play."

Willowbrook controlled much of the first half. Five-foot-10 senior Josie Zabran scored 19 of her game-high 23 points during the first 16 minutes as the Warriors toyed with leads of 21-14 and 29-22 before settling for a 31-31 tie at halftime.

"It always seems to be a barnburner with these guys," Chamberlain said. "We match up with them, they match up with us. It's a real good first game of the season test. I thought they had a good game plan. Then we asked our girls to make adjustments to what they were doing."

Glenbard North went to a collapsing zone against Zabran, and Willowbrook struggled from the perimeter. Zabran was 11 of 16 from the field, but her teammates were just 10 of 30, including 2 of 11 from 3-point distance.

The Warriors were also outrebounded 35-33 despite Zabran's 13 rebounds.

"We didn't do what we needed to do on the offensive or defensive boards," Willowbrook coach Terry Harrell said. "We gave up way too many rebounds (17) on the offensive end. You have to control your defensive rebounds or you're going to be in trouble.

"We got the missed free throws at the end of the game and we're in position to get up the court, then we give up the offensive rebound," he added. "That was a microcosm of the game."

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