Fenwick, the three-time defending champion in the Dundee-Crown holiday tournament, began its attempt at a fourth straight with a 70-24 opening-round victory over Bartlett Wednesday.
The No. 6 Friars (13-2) got balanced scoring paced by Katlyn Payne’s 17 points and Lauren Gula’s 14.
Tricia Liston and sister Claire Liston, a senior who joined the Friars after winding up the volleyball season, each added 10 points and had double-doubles. Tricia finished with 10 rebounds while Claire, who hasn’t played basketball for Fenwick since she was a freshman, came up with a team-leading 11.
The Friars, who led 45-10 at halftime, lost four starters from last season’s state championship team, but Gula doesn’t think of this as a rebuilding year.
“We just want to prove to people that we are as good as last year,” she said. “I mean, we’re not as great. But we can definitely go downstate.”
Freshman Jacki Gulczynski had 12 points and eight rebounds for Bartlett (4-9).
Prospect 59, Dundee-Crown 36
Balanced scoring from Sarah Winans (13 points), Rachel Hunt (12) and Megan Murray (11) lifted Prospect to a 59-36 victory over tournament host Dundee-Crown. The Knights (11-4) will play No. 6 Fenwick in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Kate-Leigh Pilson led the Chargers (7-5) with 17 points and eight rebounds.