If she had her way, Lincoln-Way West senior Courtney O’Donnell and teammate Emily Atsinger would have joined the Warriors’ 1,000-point club during the same game.
“There was a really good chance that we would have, but she was hurt early in the season,” O’Donnell said. “It would have been really cool.”
Atsinger is still a game or two away. O’Donnell, meanwhile, got a surprise at school Friday morning when coach Ryan White told her she crossed the 1,000-point mark during Thursday’s 62-50 win over Lincoln-Way Central.
“I actually didn’t know I was that close,” O’Donnell said. “I wasn’t keeping track. It’s really not something that I set as a personal goal.
“I mean, it’s definitely an accomplishment. I’m excited about it. But the win meant more.”
O’Donnell, a 5-foot-11 forward, has been one of the leaders for West (9-0), which is off to one of the best starts in the program’s history.
It was far from odd that she and Atsinger both scored 16 points in Thursday’s win. They ended last season tied in scoring average at 15.6 points.
“Me and Emily definitely share the leadership role on this team,” O’Donnell said. “I felt like I did have to step up a little bit while she was hurt (for four games). We were also lucky to have talented girls ready to fill spots.”
Doing it all: Rich Central senior Vivian Imarenezor knows when to shoot and when to share.
In a 56-38 victory on Nov. 29 over Eisenhower, the 5-foot-6 guard lit up the scoreboard with 31 points.
In Thursday’s 44-41 win over Southland rival Rich South, she scored 13 points and distributed the ball to teammates Miah Smith (12 points), Maliyah McDonald (9 points) and Nyla Williamson (7 points).
“I just want to win,” Imarenezor said. “This season is the most important one to me. Now I feel like I’m in charge and it’s my role to lead us somewhere, either a conference championship or a regional championship.”
Imarenezor, who’s averaging 16 points and five rebounds, has a “do whatever it takes” attitude that hasn’t been lost on Olympians coach Burnetta Mack.
“She is playing a lot more confident,” Mack said. “I think it’s because this season she has a supporting cast and she feels a lot freer to either drive and dish or shoot depending on the situation.
“She’s a very good motivator. She expects a lot out of everybody and she’s very vocal. She’s not afraid to let everybody know.”
Double up: When Oak Forest junior Lydia Howard scored 14 points on Dec. 1 in a 38-35 victory over Richards, it was a career high.
It didn’t last long.
Howard, a 5-7 guard/forward, exploded for 31 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s a 50-24 victory over Reavis.
“I’m not sure where that came from,” Howard said, laughing. “I’m kind of trying to work with my team. We’re just trying to get better, and show everybody what we have.”
Howard wasn’t piling the points on late. She had 11 in the first quarter to help the Bengals take quick control.
“There were a lot of holes in the paint, so I started to drive and draw the fouls,” Howard said. “Then I just kind of started shooting, and the shots were falling.
“I felt really good all game. It was a fantastic feeling.”
An encore isn’t on her to do list.
“Usually our points are pretty spread out,” Howard said. “We like to move the ball. It’s always about getting the ball to the open person. It doesn’t matter who they are, we trust our whole team to score.”
Twitter @tbaranek
TOP 10
Won-loss records included through Sunday, with last week’s rankings in parentheses.
1. Homewood-Flossmoor 5-1 (1)
2. Marist 10-0 (2)
3. Lincoln-Way West 9-0 (3)
4. Queen of Peace 11-0 (4)
5. Morgan Park 5-4 (5)
6. Mother McAuley 8-2 (7)
7. Bloom 6-2 (6)
8. Argo 6-4 (9)
9. Hillcrest 7-2 (NR)
10. Crete-Monee 6-5 (10)
Player of the Week: Senior forward Julia Ruzevich scored 27 points for Marist in a victory over Harvest Christian, then added 22 points in a win over Marian Central.
