Girls Basketball: Future of Spartans program looks bright
BY MIKE CAMERON Contributor February 21, 2012 6:34PM
Glenbrook North's Morgan Zivin (20) beats Lincoln Park's Tatiana Thomas (3) for a clean shot on Feb. 14, 2012, at the Niles West regional in Skokie. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media
STANDINGS
CSL South
*Niles West 8-2 22-8
Maine South 7-3 25-6
New Trier 6-4 20-10
Glenbrook S. 5-5 22-7
Evanston 4-6 15-13
Waukegan 0-10 2-23
CSL North
*Maine West 9-1 13-17
Niles North 8-2 17-13
Glenbrook N. 5-5 18-9
Highland Park 5-5 13-12
Deerfield 2-8 6-23
Maine East 1-9 6-19
* — conference champions
Article Extras
Updated: March 24, 2012 8:31AM
Rachel Blitt, already having led Glenbrook North to six more wins than it collected in its last two seasons combined, added an exclamation point to her fine season and three-year varsity career in the Spartans’ 60-59 overtime loss to Lincoln Park in a Class 4A regional semifinal at Niles West on Feb. 14.
Blitt’s willful 21-point performance was nearly enough to offset a few too many turnovers and missed inside shots by her team. The 5-foot-5 senior scored 16 of her team’s 23 points in the last 13 frantic minutes.
Repeated drives by speedy Lions guards Jasmine Williams (24 points) and Diamond Houston (15) proved just enough for No. 10 Lincoln Park (14-12) to eliminate No. 8 Glenbrook North (19-9) for the second straight year in the same round.
Blitt’s three-pointer with a second remaining was her 45th trey in 93 attempts, a dead-eye 48-percent success rate. Blitt and 5-10 senior forward Gracie Sanchez both averaged 13 points and made the all-CSL team.
“We didn’t want it to end, but this was a great season,” said the energetic Blitt, who is a softball standout and avid snowboarder and skier. “I really wanted to be a leader this year. It was definitely satisfying for us to turn things around so much. We proved a lot to ourselves when nobody was expecting anything from us.”
“This was her team, her season,” said fourth-year head coach Renee Brosnan. “She was a vocal leader, and a lot of people looked up to her. She spent a lot of time working on her shot and getting more consistent.”
Sanchez, who could only watch her new team when she transferred from Trinity in the middle of her junior year, furnished the stellar post presence that was lacking when GBN went 5-24 last year and 8-22 two seasons ago.
The Grand Valley State recruit scored a team-high 354 points to Blitt’s 351. Sanchez collected 240 rebounds, 144 more than any other Spartan. She also led in assists (78), a rare feat for a post player.
“What an inside presence Gracie gave us,” said Brosnan. “She opened things up for (Blitt), and the same thing the other way. They complemented each other.”
The Spartans, 5-5 in the CSL North, excelled in their first two tournaments by going 4-1 in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament and 5-0 in the St. Viator Snowflake Holiday Classic. GBN stood at 14-4 after a win over Deerfield on Jan. 3, but junior Rachel Dress suffered a concussion in that game and would soon contract mononucleosis.
The 5-5 point guard, one of the Spartans’ three cornerstones, missed several games and struggled to regain her rhythm after she returned. Her 5-1 classmate, Morgan Zivin, stepped up to fill the key position. Both Dress and Zivin showed Blitt-like leadership potential.
When 5-11 senior Kelly Dress suffered a late-season injury, the Spartans were all juniors except for Blitt and Sanchez. GBN’s junior class is talented, experienced and extremely deep, which already stokes optimism for next year.
Brosnan may go with more of a two-post arrangement next season. The 5-9 Alena Marovitz, an early-season regular, is a gifted athlete who stars on the softball diamond along with Blitt. The 5-7 Grace Morrissey is a rebounding machine who plays taller than her height. She ended the season as a starter after an outstanding JV campaign.
Sorely missed against Lincoln Park was 5-8 Erica Sogo, who was too ill to play. The transfer from Japan fit in seamlessly and can bash underneath with the bigs. A strong 5-10, Sammie Von Rueden is a proficient 15-foot shooter who will be asked to mix it up in the paint a lot more.
Brosnan also developed a pair of 5-7 junior guards. Dani DeCesare was a frequent starter displaying all-around ability. Tori Winner is a three-point marksman who came up big in several games.
Meanwhile, Blitt and juniors Katie Hanrahan and Devin Weiss advanced in the three-point shooting contest between the two regional semifinal games, and Blitt and Hanrahan made the cut in the next round. Hanrahan, Weiss and classmates Lindsay Schiff and Marissa Lachman will vie for more playing time next winter.
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