Injury to Glenbrook North point guard Dress causes domino effect

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Glenbrook North's Morgan Zivin pushes the ball up the court while defended by Highland Park's Desiree Charity. | Morgan Glier~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 20, 2012 9:04AM

Riding high after winning the St. Viator Holiday Tournament, the Glenbrook North girls basketball team suffered a bit of a setback recently when it lost junior point guard Rachel Dress to injury.

Dress, who was averaging nine points and three assists per game, suffered a concussion in the Jan. 3 game against Deerfield. While resting that injury, Dress discovered she had mononucleosis, and now will be out until some time in February.

Glenbrook North dropped its first game without Dress, falling to first-place Maine West in a Jan. 6 conference tilt.

The results certainly were better the second time around, as GBN defeated Maine East 59-45 Friday in Northbrook. The Spartans improved to 15-5 overall, 5-2 in the CSL North.

Junior Morgan Zivin, who has replaced Dress in the starting lineup, continues to get comfortable in her more prominent role.

“(Zivin) is doing a good job, but it’s hard to replace Rachel,” Glenbrook North head coach Renee Brosnan said. “(Dress) has been on varsity since her sophomore year. For (Zivin), this is her first year (on varsity). Rachel has more experience and is taller and stronger. But Morgan is doing a great job.”

Since Zivin was the reserve point guard, Glenbrook North has been forced to get creative in order to identify her backup.

Rachel Blitt has spent some time in that role, though playing the point means the senior is not at her normal spot as the two-guard.

“We’re trying different things,” Brosnan said. “Blitt can play the one, but that takes away some of her outside shooting, and she’s our outside shooter. So (backup point guard) kind of depends on what we need in that game.”

Blitt led the way with 17 points and senior Gracie Sanchez had 11 points and seven blocks against Maine East. It was GBN’s third victory over the Blue Demons this season.

In the previous meeting between the clubs, at the St. Viator tournament, GBN’s pressure defense had caused Maine East problems.

Brosnan decided to go back the press after the score remained close at halftime during Friday’s game, and it worked like a charm. Clearly knowledge gained from a previous meeting helped Brosnan determine the best way to stop Maine East.

Likewise, Glenbrook North’s conference opponents will have better insight into slowing down Sanchez when they face the Spartans for a second time.

Sanchez, who transferred from Trinity, might have been unfamiliar to opponents the first time through the conference. Not any longer. Teams now design their defenses to stop the Grand Valley State-bound star.

“They know her strengths and weaknesses and will put that to use the second time around,” Brosnan said. “We’ll try to counter that.”

Two GBN players who stepped up against Maine East were junior reserves Tori Winner (9 points) and Grace Morrissey (6 points).

“(Winner) is a guard who has been doing a good job scoring here or there,” Brosnan said. “(Morrissey) is a post player who has stepped up and played well in JV games. I noted that and decided I was going to give her playing time against Maine East. She came through with six points, and three offensive rebounds.”

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Spartans visit North co-leader Niles North.