Girls Basketball: Mullarkey shoots straight about goals

Updated: January 10, 2012 6:42PM

Michelle Maher and Jacqui Grant are the two public faces of the Maine South team.

Maher will play Division I basketball next season at Western Illinois, and the 6-foot-3 Grant will join her at that level soon.

But the Hawks aren’t one of the best teams in the state without their supporting cast.

That includes senior Kaitlyn Mullarkey, a good friend of Niles West’s Jewell Loyd.

The third-year varsity veteran is considered the vocal leader of the Hawks, who took third at the state tournament last season and are 17-1 and ranked No. 8 this season.

Along with being a sharpshooter on the perimeter, the 5-foot-8 guard calls plays and makes sure players are in position on the court.

Maybe most importantly, she’s the team’s biggest cheerleader.

“We have great team chemistry,” said Mullarkey, one of five starters back for the Hawks. “We never fight and always get our work done. It’s never a struggle to go to practice because we all have fun working hard and playing together.”

After scheduled games against Waukegan and Loyola, the Hawks get a chance to pay back No. 20 New Trier, the only team to hand Maine South a loss in the CSL South this season.

“That game was a reality check,” said Mullarkey, whose team suffered a 55-44 loss to the Trevians on Dec. 2. “We have to work hard and play good every single game.

“I am sure everyone’s been waiting for this second chance. It’s going to be a matter of who executes the plays the best. No one wants a second loss to them.”

Mullarkey was on the team in 2010 that upset New Trier to capture the regional championship and signaled the start of Maine South’s current run.

“That was such a confidence boost for us,” said Mullarkey, who also plays softball in the spring. “Our team was so young, and we knew we would grow and get better. But I don’t think anyone saw us going to the state tournament last season. We are really proud of ourselves for that.”

While it would have been easy for the Hawks to coast into this season after all they accomplished a year ago, Mark Smith and his coaching staff have done a good job of keeping the girls focused.

“They don’t let us get a big head,” Mullarkey said. “The important game is whichever one we are playing. We don’t worry about March basketball right now. We set goals throughout the season, and we just try to play our best basketball.”

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