Losing a Division I talent in Jessica Cerda to graduation can decimate a team, but there are three big reasons — and several others — for coach George Rosner to think this year’s Streamwood Sabres girls basketball team will overcome it.
The first is returning four-year varsity pivot player Hannah McGlone, who has accepted a scholarship to Division II Winona State for next season. There are two other 6-footers to make life near the basket easy for Rosner’s club: 6-2 freshman Jenejah Williams and returning 6-2 senior Stephanie Caldera.
“We’ve got some big ones,” Rosner said. “We may be able to play a little more zone than we have in the past.”
The Sabres look so solid near the hoop they may be able to use McGlone to handle the basketball at times.
“She can do it, but we like to keep her near the post,” Rosner said.
For now, McGlone is recovering from surgery and will be unavailable until sometime in December.
“I don’t know how we’ll start early,” said Rosner, the dean of area coaches with 30 years at Streamwood and 34 overall years. “It’s tough without having Hannah because you’re talking about a player who was a consistent double-double. But we know we’ll get her back.”
Guard Deja Moore now is playing at North Central College, so the Sabres have to come up with a guard to handle the ball. Rosner will rotate at point guard between returning starter Holly Foret, returning junior Kiana Jeremiah and junior Kayla Hawkins, a transfer from Bartlett.
Foret may develop into a chief scoring threat after averaging six points last year.
“She can really shoot the ball,” Rosner said. “In the past, with Hannah and Jess and Deja there weren’t a lot of shots available to her, but she will get the chance now.”
Junior guard Rosa Miranda is a three-point threat and Rosner expects senior Sukrat Giwa to “elevate her game because she showed a lot of athletic ability last year playing some for us in about all the games.”
Junior Natalie Guindon is the other Sabres player who should see a lot of time in a nine-player rotation.
Rosner is confident in Foret’s ability to step into a key scoring role, but the playmaking role is one that bears watching.
“We need someone to take charge there and we’ll keep moving it and rotating to see who runs the offense,” said Rosner, who is 14 wins shy of 400 for his career.
