If the Highland Park girls basketball team is to win the Central Suburban North, it will have to find a complimentary piece to star Lena Munzer.
Tuesday night they may have found one.
Munzer, a senior, was her typical spectacular self, scoring 31 points against rival Deerfield. But it was junior Lizzy LoGrande who provided a spark, adding 14 points as the Giants showed no holiday cheer in crushing the Warriors, doubling them up 68-34 the final.
Playing zone defense in an attempt to slow down Munzer, it was LoGrande who burned Deerfield (5-6, 3-2) early. During Highland Park’s 19 point first quarter, LoGrande scored seven points. When the defense collapsed on Munzer, she found LoGrande, who scored under the basket, from midrange and from beyond the three-point line.
“We didn’t want to treat this any more special because it’s Deerfield,” Munzer said. “We wanted to play our game. We were ready.”
Munzer scored five straight to start the second quarter, making it 24-4 Highland Park (8-6, 5-0). That lead swelled to 38-12 the halftime.
When sophomore Grace Quirk finished a three-point play with just under a minute left in the third quarter, the score was 53-21, Highland Park’s biggest lead of the game up to that point
“We talk a lot about defense. When we have a defensive effort the points will come,” Highland Park coach Jolie Bechtel said. “I was proud of our effort. We really got after it.”
After starting 3-0 in the CSL North, Deerfield has now lost its last two. The Warriors committed 24 turnovers, unable to establish any offensive rhythm.
“Highland Park came out really well and we came out reacting to everything they did,” Deerfield coach Mike Muldrow said.
Freshman Haley Greer led Deerfield with eight points.
Senior Tina Berardi added 10 points for the Giants.
