Girls Basketball: Giants Fall Hard to Close an Era

There are some goodbyes to make.

The so-longs came Wednesday night after Highland Park girls basketball team lost 54-38 in its final game of the season. Now, it's farewell to those seniors who played a key part in the squad's two consecutive championships in the Central Suburban League North conference.

Like . She proved a center didn't have to be 6 feet tall as long as she possessed that great first step and a tough left hand.

And . This senior gave defense a good name. She was a throwback to the days when players dove on the floor for every loose ball.

Finally, there was . All four years, her modus operandi was the same: take the ball to the basket.

In the final high school game for these three players, the Barrington Fillies' scouting report might have noted that Feldman wanted to take the ball to the basket seemingly every time she came up court.

And those Fillies, like so many teams before, were nearly powerless to do anything about it in the Class 4A regional matchup at Grant High School in Fox Lake.

Feldman went out in style during one of the Illinois High School  Association's tournaments leading to the state championship. In the 54-38 loss to Barrington, she scored the team's first field goal nearly 11 minutes into the contest. She would finish with 18 points.

"It's my speed,'' Feldman said. "It's always been my advantage. I just went as fast as I could. I really wanted to push the ball."

The Fillies dug a gigantic hole for the Giants' to overcome at the start. Early in the second quarter, the scoreboard read: Barrington 19, Highland Park 1.

Feldman, who plans to attend Emory University in Atlanta this fall, said she had seen her basketball club begin games slowly this season. But in the regional tournament, it is either win to advance or go home to wait for next season.

"We've had bad starts before,'' she said.

Feldman had 8 points by halftime as Highland Park (18-9) cut the Barrington lead to 27-13.

"We turned the ball over and were not getting back on defense,'' said Highland Park coach Jolie Bechtel. "But Barrington is a good team, there is no doubt about that."

Barrington's lead was still in double figures heading to the final quarter. That's when Collier got into the act. She had 5 of her 6 points in the fourth quarter. Her jumper got the Giants down into the single digits, 40-31, in a comeback attempt. But Barrington was able to salt the game away at the free throw line.

High Park sophomore Lena Munzer landed a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 7 points. Evans added 5 points.

The Giants also graduate senior Marguerite Biagi.

"Those four seniors were part of the best record in Highland Park history,'' Bechtel said. "They allowed us to gain some respect."

Next season, the club can build around Munzer, Ariel Swartz, Morgan Bartelstein along with Jorie Fox, Jacki Berardi, Amy Behm, Allison Grosky and Alex Jones.