Though the game is early–at 5:30 pm in the Competition Gym as the first part of a doubleheader with the boys varsity game–Coach Wilhelm and the girls will need to be sharp. The Warren Blue Devils (6-3) come rolling into east Lake Forest this evening, having won four out of their last five games.

The Scouts, on the other hand, just suffered a loss to Stevenson on Tuesday and have no time to lick their wounds. The Blue Devils–who have dismantled Libertyville, Stevenson, and Zion-Benton in NSC play already–boast a high-octane offensive unit featuring 5’11 Wake Forest commit Kaylen Dickson, who just scored a career-high 31 points in the Blue Devils’ most recent loss to Lakes.

In order to limit her production, Coach Wilhelm will look to employ the significant length that the Scouts boast in their lineup. Halle Douglass, Ellie Pearson, Finola Summerville, and others will look to either mark Dickson in one-on-one match-ups or provide extended help defense in the paint.

Aside from Dickson, though, Warren also boasts Eastern Illinois commit Jordyn Hughes, a 5’7 physical player who is capable of wreaking havoc on defenses as regularly as her counterpart.

The Scouts, who are still averaging around 17 turnovers a game, need to limit that number if they want to give themselves a chance to compete with the NSC’s elite teams like Warren. In addition to that, the Scouts will need to connect on some long-range shots, ultimately improving their 22% clip from behind the arc for the season.

Douglass and Co. never back down from a fight, and considering many players on this year’s team were competitors in the Scouts’ IHSA Regional Final win over Warren last season, expect the Scouts to be ready to go tonight in the 5:30 pm matinee.