With an injury to star senior guard Melanie Blanco early in the first quarter, chances of avenging last year’s blowout loss to the Trevians seemed low. However, a second half led by the team’s youth and grit geared up an early contender for comeback win of the season.
Two sophomores led the path to victory – Amalia Rojas finished the game as the leading scorer with 19 points, while Lucy Mehlis took charge on the defensive end by taking the assignment on New Trier’s best perimeter option.
Rojas, who found herself as the main ball-handler due to Blanco’s absence, didn’t seem to miss a beat.
“I focused on staying calm, playing to my strengths, and communicating with my teammates to keep everyone on the same page,” Rojas said.
After New Trier had taken a 34-25 lead into the intermission, she came out of the half with two straight layups to help cut the lead to 5. Rojas was able to get to the basket at will, scoring a bulk of her game-high 19 points a few feet away from the cup. Prior to the beginning of the season, Coach Thomas Kane said that Rojas was one of the several underclassmen to be on the lookout for.
As Rojas got the team back on track offensively, fellow sophomore guard Lucy Mehlis got things going on the other side of the ball.
“I looked at Lucy and said, ‘Lucy, she’s [referring to New Trier’s primary offensive option] got 15 right now, and Lucy, she’s gonna end the game with 15.’ And sure enough, she ended the game with 15,” Kane said. Initiated by Mehlis’s efforts, Lane showcased an engagement on defense that wasn’t prevalent in the first half. The uptick in defensive effort allowed for Lane to reign in the Trevians, as they forced turnovers and out ran them in transition.
With the two sophomore standouts at the forefront, Lane took a lead at the 4:15 mark of the final quarter, as they marched their way to a 60-55 victory. Senior center Emily Rue finished with 12 points, showcasing the way in which the team’s youth and veteranship combine in order to achieve the desired results.
“She’s such a presence on the boards, and just made some really smart plays,” Kane said, on Rue’s impact. “Made a huge three for us to extend our lead a little bit.”
As Lane looks ahead to a rather tough schedule against some of the best teams in the state, Kane looks for the team to cement themselves as true contenders for post season success.
“What we’re hoping to do this year is to have a couple breakthrough games,” Kane said. “I felt like last year we were kind of the best of the rest, whereas we would like to actually get some top tier wins this year and beat some teams that we’ve never beaten before. It’s a tough ask, but it’s something I think we’re up to the challenge for.”
Things may be more challenging than expected however, as there is uncertainty over how many games Blanco will miss.
“She’s irreplaceable,” Kane said, of Blanco. “She’s our team leader. She’s our team heartbeat.”
Blanco, who led the team in four of the five main statistical categories last season, started off the season averaging 10 points per game to go along with her five assists. Blanco’s reputation as a big-time player goes without question, as she’s received collegiate interest over the past few months. Despite said interest, Blanco still values the team over all. “I just think it motivates me even more. I want all my team to have experience as well. I just try to make them better, but also motivate them. So winning is still at that forefront,” Blanco said.
As the Champions look to move forward without their star guard, they’ll be looking to adapt around her absence.
“Moving forward we need to communicate better and have a next women up mentality…our team is focusing on a positive mentality and staying united,” Rojas said.
Out of their remaining 14 games, over a third of them will be against teams that won over 20 games last season. Standout games include an away game against last season’s conference runner-up, the Kenwood Broncos on Dec. 18, as well as a late season clash against reigning conference champions, the Whitney Young Dolphins, at Lane Gymnasium on Jan. 24.
