A 23-point victory isn’t usually cause for alarm, no matter who you are.
But for Doug Erickson, coach of the sixth-ranked Andrew Thunderbolts, Friday’s 48-25 rout of Oak Lawn at the Andrew Tournament in Tinley Park exposed several concerns.
Though holding Oak Lawn to 11-for-36 shooting from the floor, Erickson’s team committed 23 turnovers while struggling to score outside of the paint.
“It was a sloppy game,” Erickson said. “All three games we’ve struggled. We’re out of sync offensively. We’re getting the shots but we’re just not making them. When we start to make them, it will be serious business for somebody.”
Andrew (3-0) led 20-12 at the half and blew the game open by outscoring the Spartans 12-4 in the third quarter. The Thunderbolts then opened the fourth period with an 11-2 run to take a 43-18 lead with just under 5 minutes remaining.
Andrew’s defense forced the action and made up for the T-Bolts’ offensive struggles. Oak Lawn (0-3) was harried into 33 turnovers, with the Thunderbolts’ Tiffany Rudak (five steals) and Melissa Malinowski (four) leading way.
“We preach defense,” Erickson said. “But we still need to get to the point where we force a team to play sloppy but play well ourselves.”
Sophomore center Dawn Vander Meer led Andrew with 16 points and eight rebounds. Rudak added 10 points, while Malinowski and Maureen Nelson added seven apiece. Vander Meer had only two rebounds at the half but came on strong in the third quarter.
“I don’t think she had a great first half,” Erickson said. “She has the capability to dominate inside, but I think sometimes she forgets that. She turned it around after halftime.”
Junior point guard Jenny Sepessy led Oak Lawn with 11 points.
In the second game Thornwood shut out Rich Central for the first six minutes of the second half, paving the way for a 60-34 victory. Jenean Ford led the Thunderbirds (3-0) with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jennifer King contributed 14 points.
Glamora Meaweather led Rich Central (1-2) with 14 points.
