After a memorable run that included four straight regional titles, Antioch has hit a tough stretch the past two-plus seasons.
But the Sequoits, behind a tall frontcourt, are slowly building toward another promising run after a slow start this season. The Sequoits dropped a 43-32 decision to Grayslake North on Friday but have won four of their 11 games.
“We’re still kind of rebuilding,” Antioch coach Tim Borries said. “We want to be competitive and are playing hard. We’re just struggling shooting the ball. We went to a bigger lineup in the second half (against Grayslake North) and started pounding the ball inside, and that seemed to work.
“We’re still waiting to find our shooting stroke. We had three games each of the last two weeks, not had a lot of time to practice on our game and fundamentals. We’re going to now get some good practice in and get better on fundamentals and use what we learned next week in our games.”
Through the past six-plus seasons, Borries had been missing a true inside presence to take some pressure off his guards, most notably during the era of Amy and Ashley Reiser that produced four regional championships and two sectional titles.
But Borries said 6-foot-3 sophomore center Avery Larson is a player with a bright upside. Larson is averaging eight rebounds per game.
“Avery has a lot of potential,” he said. “She has great footwork, some of the better footwork that I’ve seen. She needs to put on some muscle and build her body up for a post, just to be ready for the pounding in the middle.
“She has aspirations to go Division I and play in college. There’s no doubt that she’s skilled to do that. She’s going to be fun to watch. She’s a pretty good shot blocker.”
Back on track: Grayslake North had an uphill climb after opening the season with one victory in its first seven games. The Knights (6-7), under first-year coach Roger Lass, reeled off five straight wins until losing to DeKalb on Monday.
More Top Picks Best Cordless Heating Pads For Back Pain
“We played in the Mundelein Tournament against some really good teams, but we’re starting to come together and understanding what we need to do offensively and defensively,” Lass said. “We’re a really well-balanced team. Any girl can lead us in scoring on any night.”
Lass pointed out that senior point guard Faith Standerski and junior guard Jayden Curtis have shined early this season.
“Faith has been scoring really well,” he said. “Her main contribution is handling the ball and leading the team. Jayden had a couple of games with over 15 rebounds, plays great defense and rebounds very well.”
Waukegan update: Waukegan’s promising season hit a minor roadblock last week when senior guard Ja’Da White-McConnell suffered a knee injury. She scored 11 points in a 49-45 victory over Warren on Dec. 11 but sat out a 39-36 loss to struggling Mundelein on Friday.
“Her doctor requested an MRI,” Waukegan coach Nicole Keith said of White-McConnell’s injury. “We’re awaiting a date. We’re hoping it’s this week. She’s more mobile, so it might just be soreness.”
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.