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Girls Basketball: Maisie Cox will be the catalyst for Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich senior Cathryne Spear (14) puts up a shot down low during the tournament game against Cary-Grove at Lakes High School on Saturday, November 19, 2011.
| michael jarecki ~ for Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 22, 2011 10:56PM
If this basketball team needs a spark, it need look no further than Maisie Cox.
The Lake Zurich High School point guard has been a catalyst for the Bears during her first three seasons. The beginning of season four is no exception, as the point guard has helped the club to a 3-0 start.
“I love her competitiveness,” said Bears coach Chris Bennett. “We always seem to have soccer players who are some of our leading defenders.”
Cox, who scored 12 points in a 65-41 win over Lakes on Nov. 16, is valuable on both ends of the floor.
“It’s always nice to have an experienced point guard who takes care of the ball,” Bennett said.
The Bears opened the season by taking care of Deerfield 52-36 on Nov. 14 in a nonconference game. The leaders included Dori Darras (15 points) and Stephanie Schmid (14 points).
“Dori’s jump shot has gotten better, and she can hit some threes for us,” said Bennett of this four-year varsity player. “She’s certainly our most polished offensive player.”
Schmid, who has collected 40 points in three games, is emerging as a bonafide shooter.
“Stephanie is probably our best shooter,” the coach said. “She does a nice job of shooting in rhythm.”
The Bears are 2-0 thus far in the Thanksgiving Turkey Thriller (hosted by Lake Zurich and Fremd). The other key contributors against Lakes were Schmid (14 points) and Christina Sandstedt (10 points).
On Saturday night, the Bears dismantled Cary-Grove 55-30. The offensive leaders were Katherine Anderson (15 points) and Schmid (12 points).
Anderson hurt the Trojans by nailing four shots from beyond the three-point arc.
“Katherine was on fire for a little while,” Bennett said. “She’s another senior who has been on the team for three years. She’s getting some confidence in her jump shot.”
In what Bennett believes was the club’s best performance so far, the Bears led Cary-Grove 33-13 at halftime. The coach estimated his team made 70 percent of its field-goal attempts in the second quarter.
Experienced crew: Another Bear to watch is three-year varsity player Cathryne Spear.
“She’s a very athletic player,” Bennett said.
This club is long on experience. The Bears have eight seniors with a combined 23 years of varsity service.
The Bears also figure to boast a balanced attack. In the initial three games, the Bears have seen five different players reach double figures.
“We don’t really have one star, but we have six or seven kids who can put the ball in the hoop,” Bennett said.
Sandstedt could wear the tag of most improved Bear.
“She’s taken on a role vacated by Kelsey Dreiling,” said Bennett of a 2011 graduate. “Of her 10 points (vs. Lakes), three of her baskets were offensive putbacks. That’s what we need her to do: rebound the ball and play defense.”
When viewing the North Suburban Lake division, Bennett knows Warren and Zion-Benton will be tough to beat. He’s also wary of clubs like Libertyville and Stevenson.
“It will be a very competitive conference,” Bennett said.
On the schedule: The Bears wrapped up the tournament with games Rolling Meadows (Nov. 22) and Fremd (Nov. 23). Lake Zurich returns to action at 7 p.m. on Nov. 29 when the team travels to Johnsburg.
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