GIRLS BASKETBALL: Spartans Look Primed for Turnaround

It’s been a rough couple years from a win-loss standpoint for Glenbrook North senior guard Rachel Blitt. That’s why this year’s 2-0 start to the basketball season feels so good.

With Blitt leading the way with 18 points, the Spartans topped defending Central Suburban League North champion Highland Park 60-41 at the Mundelein Turkey Tournament Wednesday night. GBN opened the tournament with a 54-50 win over Grayslake North and Highland Park beat the host Mustangs 64-51 the night before.

“The last two years that I’ve been on varsity we’ve won 8 games and 6 games, respectively, so the fact that we’re 2-0 this year is a really, really nice feeling,” Blitt said.

The Spartans won each quarter to gradually build up the lead for an impressive and comfortable win. Only four Giants got on the scoreboard, with all-conference junior Lena Munzer scoring a game-high 21 points.

The big difference for GBN is in the middle with senior Gracie Sanchez. Sanchez transferred from Trinity High School this fall and is committed to play at Division II Grand Valley State next year. She scored 18 in the opener and 14 against the Giants.

“Gracie Sanchez makes a huge difference on that court,” GBN coach Renee Brosnan said. “Hands down the best player in our conference.”

As far as conference goes, this was a big statement win for the Spartans. The Giants have won the league two years in a row, but that streak could be in jeopardy.

“That’s our main goal to win conference this year and it’s a good feeling to beat them by so much for the first time,” Sanchez said. “It’s a good accomplishment for our team.”

Junior Rachel Dress and Blitt return as starting guards with juniors Morgan Zivin (8 points Wednesday) and Sammie Von Reuden (6 points) seeing playing time as well. Junior Alena Marovitz (8 points in the opener) and seniors Kelly Dress and Whitney Landman will play alongside Sanchez in the front court.

Dress and Von Reuden were on varsity last year, but the other juniors on the team won the conference title on the sophomore level and will bring a winning attitude to the varsity team. Of the 16 players on the Spartans’ roster, 12 are juniors.

Erica Sogo, another transfer, is a junior forward from Japan who will work her way into the lineup as she settles in to the new environment. Sogo played limited minutes against the Giants, but showed some ability with six points in the fourth quarter.

“I thought in the beginning she was just a little bit, kind of confused, but once she gets going she’s a quick learner,” Brosnan said. “She’s very quick, she takes it to the basket.”

The Giants lost three all-conference players from last year’s 18-9 team--Lauren Evans, Emily Feldman and Briana Collier--and are trying to find someone to support Munzer, who poured in 31 in the opener. Morgan Bartelstein had 12 in the win over Mundelein and added seven while Arial Swartz scored 11 against the Spartans.

Giants’ coach Jolie Bechtel is focusing on defense in practice and said that was the difference between the two games.

“Last night we were trailing almost the whole first half, we were down at halftime and we just played better defensively in the second half,” Bechtel said. “We didn’t play well defensively today.” 

Both teams finish tournament pool play on Thursday. The Giants play Grayslake North at 4:30 p.m. and the Spartans play Mundelein at 7:30 p.m.

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GLENBROOK NORTH

13

18

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60

HIGHLAND PARK

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7

41