Carmel freshman wing Katie Lach caught the ball on the baseline as the Lake Forest defense closed in, forcing her to make the most of her limited options.
Driving to the left wasn’t an option, so Lach drove right and lofted a perfect, underhanded floater for a basket against the Scouts on Dec. 27 at the Blue Devil Classic holiday tournament in Gurnee.
The play showed Lach’s intuition and playmaking ability. Despite her youth, the 5-foot-11 Lach is fearless and has the size to put her knowledge of the game to good use in the paint and on the perimeter.
“Coming in as a freshman, I expected to have a really big role,” Lach said. “I feel like I am an important shooter on the team, and my teammates create really good opportunities for me with their passing.”
Lach scored a team-best 12 points and added eight rebounds, two assists and a steal as the Corsairs upset the Scouts 45-43. Carmel (11-5 as of Friday) finished 3-2 in the tournament and has already exceeded its 10 victories from a year ago.
“Playing over the summer with these girls has really helped build my confidence and helped me get used to the (varsity) game,” Lach said.
In her eight years directing the program, Kelly Perz never had a freshman on the varsity roster. Now she is starting two, with Lach and dynamic 5-3 point guard Ranya Jamison.
The younger sister of star Carmel running back Rondel Jamison, Ranya Jamison had eight points and four steals. She helped secure the victory by stripping the ball away from Lake Forest guard Delaney Williams in the final seconds.
“They are both very emotionally mature and confident players,” Perz said of Lach and Jamison. “They have the same reaction after a big shot as a turnover. I would prefer that as a coach, and not for them to be up-and-down. I think a lot of athletes get into trouble that way because they let their emotions take over.”
Lach has a scorer’s mentality. She drilled a 3-pointer against the Scouts and also got to the basket regularly.
Jamison’s game relies on speed and quickness. As Lake Forest fought back from a 16-point deficit, Jamison took over in the fourth quarter.
“The biggest adjustment is just playing against older women who are bigger, stronger and better,” Jamison said. “Playing varsity is a big step for me. Practicing every day with my teammates has really helped me. They set the screens. They give me the help.”
Perz said the Corsairs will be at their best when the upperclassmen and the freshmen work together in all aspects of the game. That process is a complex one.
“I have been part of teams and I have coached teams where older players felt snubbed and took it out on the younger girls,” Perz said. “That has not been the case with us. I think everybody has accepted their roles.”
The strong showing at the Blue Devil Classic only confirmed the team is headed in the right direction. The Corsairs are excited by what the new year summons.
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“I am really excited how the team is coming together,” Lach said. “I know we are going to do better, progress and do well against the better teams we play.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press