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North Shore not able to come back from big deficit
North Shore Country Day School's Annie Kroll drives past Lillian Eckstein during the game against University High School Wednesday night. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times
Updated: January 9, 2013 11:18PM
CHICAGO — The U-High girls basketball team had a 6-footer in Maud Jansen ready to scoop up any missed shots against a much shorter North Shore Country Day squad Wednesday. It turned out the Maroons didn’t need the junior’s height advantage.
The Maroons hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 23-2 lead on the Raiders by quarter’s end. Holding onto a slim 4-2 lead early, U-High scored 21 unanswered points to take a double-digit lead that would last until the final buzzer. The Maroons ultimately won 61-22.
Senior shooting guard Sophia Gatton was particularly unstoppable for the Maroons, finishing with 17 points. Her own personal run in the third quarter, encompassing six points in a little under a minute, helped put the game away for U-High.
After the game, Maroons coach Tai Duncan noted that Gatton has become an elite shooting guard, both with her shooting and her court leadership. That leadership has even led to a little swagger, according to Duncan.
“She does, she does (have a little swagger on the court),” Duncan said. “I think it’s helped her. She’s earned it. She spends all summer in the gym. When no one else is here, she’s here.”
North Shore kept pace with U-High in the second quarter, with both teams scoring six points, but Gatton’s flurry of points would finish off the Raiders.
Twice in a row, Gatton beat the Raiders up the court for an easy fastbreak layup, a fact that North Shore coach Dana Leonard found particularly hard to swallow.
“The second quarter was our best quarter,” Leonard said. “Our team defense, we were rotating, we were helping out, They are obviously a lot bigger than us, stronger than us and faster than us. There were times when I was very, very proud of our defense and then our offense, too, and then there where times where I couldn’t watch.”
Sophomore guard Annie Kroll led the way for the Raiders, as per usual, with six points. Seven different North Shore players made the score sheet.
The Maroons have a shot at snagging their fifth conference championship as they upped their record to 14-2 Wednesday night.
Pick up your local Pioneer Press newspaper on Jan. 17 to read more about the North Shore girls basketball team.
U-High 61, North Shore Country Day 22
North Shore Country Day
Annie Kroll 6, Megan Nolan 2, Lucy Fogel 2, Sofia Vohra 4, Ilhana Redzovic 4, Becca Slotkin 2, Rachel Gordon 2
U-High
Nadja Barlera 13, Jordan Davis 2, Lillian Eckstein 7, Sophia Gatton 17, Audrey Hart 6, Maud Jansen 11, Kendall Rallins 5
NSCD 2-6-8-6 — 22
U-High 23-6-17-15 — 61
Team Fouls — North Shore Country Day 6, U-High 9. Technicals — None.
