CHICAGO, IL. – Despite the 60-41 loss to an undefeated Mother McAuley team last night, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team showed great promise for the rest of their season.

The Scouts (7-4, 2-2) came out the gates hot, playing some of the best ball we’ve seen thus far. Whether it was making the extra pass, getting shooters open, or communicating on defense, everything seemed to click early on for head coach Kyle Wilhelm’s team. At the end of the first half of play, the Scouts saw themselves on top of Mother McAuley, currently ranked #2 in the state according to MaxPreps, 23-21.

The flame igniting the Scouts throughout their entire first half soon extinguished following the break. “They pressed really well in the second half and we struggled to beat their trap,” commented senior forward Ellie Pearson. Just as Pearson put it, the second half wasn’t pretty for Lake Forest. The Scouts were not strong with the ball on the offensive end of the floor; as a result, Mother McAuley was able to turn the visiting team’s turnovers into easy transition points. On the defensive end, slow rotations allowed for the hosts to pick apart the Scouts’ defense, ultimately giving them open looks and the ability to drive up the score. In a strong second half showing, Mother McAuley outscored the Scouts, 39-18, with 25 of those points coming in the third quarter alone.

All in all, there’s a lot of positive takeaways that come out of this game. Knowing that Wilhelm and Co. have the potential to knock off one of the best teams in the state, the Scouts should hold their heads up high for the remainder of their season. The Scouts looked to bounce back this Thursday as they travel to Arlington Heights in their non-conference match up against St. Viator.