Mundelein forward Rylan Foster picked up another sport since her sophomore season ended in February.
Determined to become a more complete player, she took up lacrosse in the spring.
“As a defender, I had to learn how to shuffle my feet and be quicker on my feet,” Foster said. “I definitely think that has helped me on defense, to say the least. I’m better staying on my girl and trying to limit the fouls.”
The 6-foot Foster was aggressive on both ends of the court and finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Mustangs’ season-opening 48-45 win against Grant in the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament on Monday night.
Foster scored 12 points in the second half as Mundelein erased a four-point halftime deficit. She made six of her seven free throws in the second half, including one that gave the Mustangs a 45-43 lead with 1:21 left. Teammate Gracie Werner chipped in 12 points, and Casey Vyverman hit several big shots to finish with 10 points and had two steals.
Foster, who averaged 10.4 points and 8.4 rebounds and shot 77% from the free-throw line last season, brought the ball up the court and used her size and strength to bother Grant.
“I’ve been getting in the weight room a lot,” she said. “I’ve gotten a lot better as a team player and am better as a passer and making reads. I’ve practiced a lot more thinking on my feet and being smarter with the ball. It’s really come to show on the court with my team. All I want to do is win.”
Grant, which returned three starters from last season, showed grit with a 12-0 run to close out the first half. After Mundelein surged ahead 31-24 in the third quarter, the Bulldogs rallied to grab a 37-35 edge on a basket by Alyssa Sandquist midway through the fourth. Foster scored four straight points help the Bulldogs regain the lead.
Grant’s Melissa Ketter scored a team-high 15 points. Sandquist added 13.
“We’re learning how to play together, so I was proud of them for ironing out some of those issues we had seen before,” Grant coach Andrea Weaver said. “We came out to fight. Even though we didn’t win, we felt we accomplished a lot today. We tried to slow down the game to stop Rylan, playing a zone defense. She had a good game.”
Mundelein first-year coach Sarah Teipel credited her team for coming back in the second half and noted Foster’s double-double.
“I’m proud of them for fighting for four quarters,” Teipel said. “At times, we got sloppy, but I was proud of that fight.
“Rylan worked so hard in the offseason. She was in the weight room and stayed extra in the gym getting shots off. She loves the game and is such a team player. I’m proud of her growth. She embraced being a leader and accepted that role.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.