Lake Forest junior Sarah Constantine likes to do repairs.
But Constantine, an emerging forward in basketball who already has proved adept as a goalkeeper in soccer, is no stereotypical handyman.
“I would like to do something with engineering in college,” she said. “I’m always fixing things in the house, just anything. I love helping my parents and getting my hands dirty in anything. I’ve grown up liking to build things.”
Constantine said she prides herself on her ability to handle problems — wherever they crop up.
“I’ve fixed our dishwasher before, when I was little,” she said. “I remember because I was thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m going to hand-wash all these dishes.’ I knew I had to get it fixed. I searched up a video and got to work. I’ve also fixed a bunch of electronic stuff.”
Constantine is a problem solver on the court too. During the third-seeded Scouts’ 51-25 win against sixth-seeded Grayslake Central in the Class 3A Lake Forest Regional championship game on Friday, she guarded Grayslake Central sophomore star Madison Hoffmann.
With tremendous length, versatility and athleticism, the 5-foot-10 Constantine made the 6-1 Hoffmann work for nearly every shot. Hoffmann finished with 16 points.
Lake Forest senior guard/forward Rachael Kaus, a fourth-year starter slated to play at Cornell next season, noted Constantine’s defensive prowess in the win.
“Sarah is very good on defense,” Kaus said. “She guarded Grayslake Central’s best player, who is a handful. But Sarah did a great job. She is so long and can alter shots.”
Constantine has made strides on the offensive end, as well, Kaus noted.
“She has gotten so good with her shooting, so when I drive, she is always there for the kick,” Kaus said. “She’s gotten so much better throughout the season, and I’m so happy how she has developed.”
Lake Forest coach Stacey Leach said Constantine’s improvement this season helped raise the bar for the Scouts (22-10), who won their fourth regional title in six years and will play second-seeded Deerfield in a Deerfield Sectional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Constantine is averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals and is shooting 40% from the field. She scored a career-high 21 points on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range against St. Viator on Dec. 15.
“Defensively, Sarah has been one of our go-to stoppers,” Leach said. “She has made leaps and bounds from last season to improve her game. She’s our glue kid who does all the little things for us. She’s had an awesome season.
“Her reach and rebounding is really helpful for us, and she usually guards the other team’s best players and never complains.”
Lake Forest senior point guard Bella Ranallo, a fourth-year varsity player who has committed to play at Clemson, said Constantine has become a consistent contributor this season.
“I can’t wait to see how she does next year,” Ranallo said.
Constantine, whose busy schedule also includes club soccer and AAU basketball, said she grew “a few inches” last summer.
“I learned over the last year how to use my height and length, especially on defense, for blocking and intimidating opponents with my long arms,” she said. “I’m definitely excited about the future. I’ve become more confident with the ball and taking more open shots.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
