Girls Basketball: 7 sophomores crack Maine East varsity lineup

Updated: November 8, 2011 8:16PM

After a disappointing five-win campaign and the loss of its top scorer, Maine East (5-23, 0-8 CSL North) will be relying on a roster heavily filled with underclassmen to turn it around.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” said head coach Karol Hanusiak. “I think we can do pretty well this year and I think that we can be competitive in the conference against every team. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen a team like this at East so I think we’re going to give some teams a run for their money.”

Despite the giant loss of Angela Jones, who transferred to Niles North, the Blue Demons are pushing forward as a team.

During the summer, all 13 girls attended a basketball camp at Wisconsin-Whitewater and it could not have gone better.

“It totally gave them a sense of being one and being a family,” Hanusiak said. “It was awesome for them to go and basically learn from someone else and have the game explained to them a different way. I think they came out of there a lot more disciplined and with just a lot more passion for the game. It was amazing what two and a half days did.”

Hanusiak will be looking to three of her seniors, Laura Lherisson, Monay Crawford and Stacie Kappos, to carry the load this year.

Crawford is the top returning scorer after averaging 5.1 points and 2.1 steals per game. Lherisson and Kappos also bring some experience, with Lherisson averaging 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and Kappos 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

“Hopefully the seniors are going to be stepping up this year,” said Kappos. “We need to take charge of the team.”

Maine East boasts seven sophomores, including the top returner of her class, Maria Protic. As a freshman, Protic averaged 3.8 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Another second-year girl who could supply production is Shaylee Sloan.

“She’s just a big body down below,” said Hanusiak. “She had a great summer, she’s really strong and she just has a nose for the boards.”

Entering a new season, Hanusiak’s biggest concern is keeping everyone healthy and in good standing, but she’s also excited about her lineup as a whole.

“It’s been a really long time since we’ve had a solid 10,” Hanusiak said. “We’re not going to have that much drop-off, so to be able to have that depth is really a luxury. We also have a lot of speed on the team so we’re really hoping that we can push the tempo in some games. We finally this year have numerous kids that can take it to the basket and put some points up for us.”

Maine East opens up the 2011-12 season Nov. 14 at the Vernon Hills tournament.

“I think we’re going to have a lot more wins than we’ve had in the past and I really think that this team this year is going to go far,” said Kappos.

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