Girls Basketball: Playoff win a highlight for Deerfield

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Lake Forest's Mary Striedl (No. 12) tries to guard Deerfield's Amanda Kellow during last week's playoff opener. | Dan Luedert~Sun-Times Media

Updated: March 24, 2012 8:44AM

The Deerfield High School girls basketball team opened up the IHSA playoffs with a 40-37 victory over Lake Forest in Hersey Regional quarterfinal action on Feb. 14. 

And though the Warriors’ season came to an end against Fremd the next night, the victory over the Scouts created memories for Deerfield. 

“It’s never easy to win a game in the playoffs,” said Deerfield coach Mike Muldrow. “The playoffs are almost like a whole new season. We really enjoyed that game.” 

The highlight of the victory came just before the halftime buzzer. Amanda Kellow, a sharp-shooting senior, made a shot from halfcourt to give the Warriors a 14-13 advantage. Kellow scored a team-high 10 points. 

This was not the first time Muldrow has seen Kellow connect from halfcourt. 

“We have a team competition (from halfcourt), and that’s her favorite drill,” Muldrow said with a smile. “She’s hit that type of shot before.” 

Lake Forest came out in a 1-3-1 zone in the first half. The Warriors struggled to combat it before making efficient adjustments at halftime. Deerfield outscored the Scouts 15-5 in the third quarter. 

With about five minutes remaining in the game, Deerfield enjoyed an 11-point lead. But nothing has come easily for the Warriors this season, and the Scouts rallied before ultimately falling three points short. 

“Lake Forest did a nice job of coming back, but we held them off,” Muldrow said. 

The next night, Fremd controlled play from the opening tap and cruised to a 60-35 victory. Fremd’s Ashley McConnell scored a game-high 21 points. Elizabeth Yucknut scored seven points for the Warriors. 

“They played really tough defense,” Muldrow said regarding the Vikings.

Looking back: Despite Deerfield’s overall record (6-24), Muldrow said the Warriors’ spirits were high the entire way. 

“This group had a lot of fun,” he said. “They were always excited to try new things; it was a really positive experience.”

Deerfield had plenty of athleticism, but too often struggled parlaying that into baskets. 

“We played great defense, but our shooting percentage wasn’t where it needed to be against the tough competition we face,” Muldrow said.

Moving forward: Junior guard Jessica Bess should be a player to watch next season. 

“She is very athletic and is coming off a good season,” Muldrow said. “She hit some big shots against Lake Forest. She will be a (key) player next year.” 

Junior Elizabeth Pavalon is learning to play in the post, and her scoring numbers could improve. 

Junior Claire Mulert will see even more court time as a senior. 

“She improved every game she played this year,” Muldrow said.