Girls Basketball: Close loss revs Titans up for playoffs
BY MIKE CAMERON Contributor February 10, 2012 11:12PM
Glenview- Sara Meinecke (left) Glenbrook South tangles with Jasmine Townsend for the loose ball. Girls basketball pits the Titans of Glenbrook South versus the Wolves of Niles West High School. | Joe Cyganowski ~ For Sun Times Media
standings
CSL South
*Niles West 8-2 20-8
Maine South 7-3 23-6
New Trier 6-4 19-9
Glenbrook S. 5-5 20-7
Evanston 4-6 14-12
Waukegan 0-10 2-22
CSL North
*Maine West 9-1 13-16
Niles North 8-2 16-12
Glenbrook N. 5-5 18-8
Highland Park 4-5 12-11
Deerfield 2-7 5-21
Maine East 0-9 6-18
* — conference champions
(Through Sunday)
Article Extras
Updated: March 17, 2012 8:08AM
Glenbrook South was understandably bummed-out following its 52-48 overtime loss to Niles West and the amazing Jewell Loyd on Friday.
The Titans naturally wanted to treat the home crowd to the squad’s 10th win in 11 home outings. It was the featured nightcap of a boys-girls doubleheader with pregame ceremonies saluting five players on senior night and a halftime presentation honoring Titan legend Dana Leonard, the first Glenbrook South player to be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Instead, the 5-foot-10 Loyd stole the show with a brilliant 42-point performance that included 19 rebounds, five steals and two blocks. Her three-pointer from above the key with 2:22 left in the fourth quarter gave her 30 points on the night and 3,000 for her career. The Notre Dame recruit became the seventh girl in the state to score 3,000. The only other player from the Chicago area to eclipse that mark was Pam Gant of Joliet East, who registered 3,205 between 1977-81.
In defeating No. 24 Glenbrook South (20-8, 5-5) for the sixth straight time, Niles West (20-8, 8-2) secured the outright title of the rugged CSL South, a game ahead of No. 16 Maine South (23-6, 7-3), the 2011 champ, and two better than No. 23 New Trier (19-9, 6-4).
But the Titans could pull several positive signs from Friday’s game as they looked ahead to this week’s home regional.
GBS was one open — but missed — layup away from winning the game with a tick left on the clock in regulation, which ended at 44-44.
The officials were heavy on the whistles, and the Titans paid the greater price. Three of their top six players fouled out in the fourth quarter while two more were saddled with four personals. The attrition took its heaviest toll in the extra session when Loyd scored six of her team’s first seven points to give the visitors enough separation.
Every team needs a great leader in the postseason, and the Titans certainly have one in senior Colleen McDonagh, who was outstanding Friday. The 5-10 guard (16 points, 5 assists) canned three treys in the first half, and her clutch midcourt steal and layup put the Titans up 43-41 with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The third-year veteran became the fourth Titan to foul out late in overtime.
Behind arguably the conference’s best defender in junior Lindsey Oldshue, the Titans made the Wolves and Loyd miserable through the first 19 minutes. The hosts extended a 10-point halftime lead to 25-13, at which point a harassed Loyd had shot 1-for-14 from the field with seven free throws for only nine points. But GBS’s fouls already were piling up. That invited Loyd to attack the basket repeatedly, leading to her 33-point rampage in the last 17 minutes.
Senior Abby Keller contributed eight points and 13 rebounds. Senior Amelia Hummel (4 points, 5 rebounds) played the last 19:51 with four fouls. Junior Molly McDonagh (6 points, 10 rebounds) drew her fifth tweet with 4:55 remaining, followed by senior and valuable sixth person Sara Meinecke (3 points) at 1:42 and Oldshue (5 points) at 0:21.
Junior Katie Jennings closed both the second and third quarters with baskets. She and senior Kelsey Byers played well in extended crunch-time minutes.
“We had four girls foul out, and we still had a shot at the end to tie it. I think that says a lot about our girls,” said Titans head coach Steve Weissenstein. “Our Achilles’ heel has been too many missed layups and free throws. If we make more of those, we can do very well in the playoffs.”
A still-trim Leonard was not allowed to suit up Friday because her eligibility ran out 15 years ago. She averaged 20.5 points in four seasons and wound up with 2,461, a total sweetened by 271 three-pointers, which ranks 14th in IHSA history. As a freshman, Leonard was the star of the 1994 Class AA state title game won by Glenbrook South under coach Howard Romanek. She went on to play for Northwestern.
Leonard currently teaches in Winnetka and coaches the Titans’ eighth-grade feeder team, which cheered on the varsity from close range Friday.
No. 3 Glenbrook South could get another shot at No. 2 Niles West and Loyd in a semifinal of the Class 4A New Trier Sectional at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday. The sectional’s other top four seeds are No. 1 Maine South and No. 4 Loyola.
The Titans were to face Lane on Tuesday before No. 5 New Trier took on Resurrection. The regional title game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. today (Thursday). The Titans beat the Trevians 49-44 at home after losing to them 31-29 in Winnetka.
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