Oak Lawn Girls Pin Hopes on Speed, Experience

In ancient Greece, it was said of Spartan women that they were among the most powerful in the world.  Last year, Oak Lawn's girls finished with a basketball record of 15-12 overall and 7-6 in the South Suburban Red and they were just beginning to show their power.

The Spartans return all five starters,  including Bridget Niemiec, who begins her fourth year on the varsity squad. She averaged 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds. Kelly Foley also returns at the guard position. She made 34 3-point field goals last year.

"We have a good amount of experience coming back, but we're going to lack height," Oak Lawn coach Janet Haubenreiser said. "What we lack in height, we hope to make up for in speed."

The Spartans' power comes from their running game.

"I expect us to compete for the conference title," Haubenreiser said. "Richards will be strong again. You have to play crossover games that count, and it depends how everyone does on the other side. We'll compete for one of the top three spots for sure."

Foley hopes to shoot holes in opponent defenses.

"I expect a lot of good things," she said. "We're like sisters, and I think we all play really well together. We're fast, and I hope we compete for conference and to move on from there."

The Spartans' lack of height does not concern Niemiec.

"Even though we're small, we're going to be fast, and we'll have that advantage on a lot of other teams," she said. "I have high expectations, especially since we have a lot of seniors. We're a tough team, and we'll be able to guard against (taller teams).  We'll fight to get that conference title back, especially after losing to Richards last year."

The Spartans open the season on the road against Queen of Peace at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 16.