Girls Basketball: Maine South has little trouble with St Charles North

Updated: January 25, 2012 9:58PM

With a flurry of early layups and some quick hands on defense, Maine South made sure it didn’t head into a daunting stretch of games on a losing streak.

The No. 8 Hawks easily snapped their only skid this season Wednesday night with a 55-17 rout over visiting St. Charles North in the Sweet 16 Tournament.

After losses at Evanston and No. 17 Marian Catholic, Maine South (21-3) scored 40 of the first 45 points in its return home with Jacqui Grant providing the first six of those en route to a team-best 14.

“We had a really nice practice yesterday and we just wanted to continue that into this game,” Grant said. “This definitely made us happier.”

The Hawks, winners of 13 straight on their home court, took command early by forcing 10 turnovers in the first quarter and making nine of their first 11 shots, including seven layups.

Maine South’s starters got plenty of time to sit with their team leading 20-2 after one quarter. The Hawks’ reserves helped push that advantage to 25 at the half and 35 entering the final period against the cold-shooting North Stars. St. Charles North (7-16) missed 31 of its 36 attempts and didn’t reach double figures on the scoreboard until Megan Booe’s three-pointer with 6:56 remaining.

That rest might prove beneficial this weekend to Maine South, which has 10 players on its roster. The Hawks will visit CSL South co-leader Niles West and Notre Dame-bound star Jewell Loyd on Friday night then take on No. 3 Trinity and No. 4 Marist on Saturday when the Sweet 16 tournament concludes at Lake Zurich.

They return to conference play next Friday with a visit from No. 19 Glenbrook South.

Erin Kieny paced Maine South’s reserves with nine points, and Katy Lohens had a team-best eight rebounds. Starting guard Michelle Maher had eight points, six rebounds and five steals.

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