Chicago-Area High School Football News and Scores | Season Pass

Both Warren and Lake Zurich’s girls basketball programs are a work in progress, after both clubs had a great deal of success last season.

And following Warren’s 41-23 victory over the visiting Bears, in what was the North Suburban Conference Lake Division opener for both teams, it appears the Blue Devils hold the early advantage over the Bears when it comes to the current learning curve.

Senior forward Alyssa Phillips scored all of her team-high 12 points (on 6-for-8 shooting from the field) for Warren in the paint, as the Blue Devils used an aggressive style of play around the basket all night. Junior Cassie Christie (10 points) also finished in double-figures for Warren (2-3 overall, 1-0 NSC Lake), which outrebounded Lake Zurich, 32-21 — and 8-4 on the offensive glass.

“I think it’s really big to get that first division win out of the way,” Warren coach John Stanczykiewicz said. “That was a goal of ours to come out of Thanksgiving and to use that experience to be ready to play our conference schedule. I thought we had a great three days of practice (prior to this game). This was the most under control we’ve played this year.”

Warren (16-for-47) shot just 34 percent from the field, while Lake Zurich (8-for-35) was also sluggish, shooting just 22.8 percent on the night.

Senior guard Sarah Stefaniu, who played all but two minutes, scored a game-high 13 points for Lake Zurich (2-5, 0-1). She’s one of just two seniors on the Bears’ roster.

“Each day is a work in progress, and each day is another step up the ladder for us,” said Lake Zurich coach Chirs Bennett, whose team won 22 games last season. “We’re behind people right now. That’s all there is to it. We’re gonna work hard. We’re gonna catch up.”