Girls Basketball: Jacqui Grant, Maine South cruise past Leyden

Updated: February 14, 2012 8:51PM

Maine South missed five straight shots at the start of its Class 4A regional semifinal Tuesday night at Niles North, but it did not have much of a bearing on the outcome of the game.

The Hawks still scored the first 21 points of the contest against Leyden, and never let off the accelerator while cruising to a 71-11 victory in Skokie.

“It feels really good [winning big], but thankfully it is not an uncommon thing for us this season,” Hawks guard Regan Carmichael said. “We may have beaten them by 60 points, but we still have things we can keep working on.”

Eleven players scored for Maine South (24-6), including senior guard Michelle Maher, who hit two three-pointers and led all scorers with 13 first-half points.

Junior forward Jacqui Grant hit all four of her shot attempts in the third quarter and finished with 10 tallies, while Nina Duric and Erin Kieny added nine points apiece.

Maine South knocked down eight three-pointers on Tuesday, and led 26-2 after the first period. Leyden missed six straight attempts to start the game and did not score until Victoria Galizia hit a bucket with 47 ticks left in the quarter.

“”We have played a lot of girls all season long, I think it was important for us to go out and shoot well tonight,” Maine South coach Mark Smith said. “Because we are going to have to come back here Thursday night and shoot well in a gym we have had our difficulties here before.”

The start of the second half was no better for the Eagles, as Maine South opened on an 11-0 run. Jeanine Hannoun stopped the run for Leyden completing a three-point play with just under four minutes to go in the quarter.

Hannoun and Galizia led the Eagles with four points, while Crystal Nguyen added a three-pointer before the intermission.

Carmichael drilled three-pointers at the end of the first and start of the second quarter for the Hawks, and Mackenzie Duffy totaled seven points.

“It is really great because it boosts everybody’s confidence,” said Carmichael. “Everybody can contribute a lot to the team, and that is something we are thankful to have in this program.”

Leyden was shutout in the fourth quarter, and Megan Roberts hit a basket with 13 seconds left to provide the final margin.

The Eagles earned their first victory of the season Monday night with a 61-28 victory over Schurz.

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