The challenge of AN encore

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This season it will be hard to find a team that doesn't have the Bolingbrook girls basketball squad circled on its schedule as the biggest game of the season.

Besides winning the Class 4A state title, the Raiders took second place in the Nike Tournament of Champions, finished fifth in the USA Today national rankings and the last time they lost to a team from Illinois was March 1, 2008, against Whitney Young.

So how can the Raiders top what they have done last season? The answer is simple.

"We do it all over again. Just better," Raiders junior guard Ariel Massengale said.

Doing it better than last year is not an unobtainable goal for Bolingbrook as it returns four out of five starters and 83 percent of the team's scoring is back.

Bolingbrook has won state trophies for five consecutive years, but back-to-back state titles is a goal that remains to be met.

"This year we are a little bit of an older team and the young players we have, have experience in big games. All of us know that we need to come back harder and play better than last year," Raiders forward Taylor Tuck said. "Everyone knows we won state and we will see a lot of people change their game and try to beat us. That's why we have to come out twice as hard."

Throughout last season and in the preseason practices, it almost seems that the Raiders thrive on the pressure of being a marked team not only in Illinois but across the nation.

Each of the Raiders' four losses last season came against nationally ranked teams from other states. Bolingbrook hopes to erase that trend this season.

"Nobody has higher expectations than ourselves," Raiders coach Tony Smith said. "Our expectations are greater than anybody in the community. All of the girls know this and we want to win every game."

Last season only a select few teams slowed down the one-two punch of Morgan Tuck and Massengale. Tuck was the first freshman girl to win the Illinois Ms. Basketball crown while Massengale won a gold medal with the USA Basketball Women's Under-16 National Team.

With another year of experience under their belt, Massengale a junior, and Tuck, a sophomore, look to be even a tougher tandem this season.

"I learned as a freshman that every practice you have to work hard in order to improve. You can't slack off in any of your workouts. I don't want to take a step back and do worse than last year," Tuck said. "All of us know that we have to focus on defense and come out with some energy because last season we didn't start games well and we were coming from behind."

Tuck was out for a couple of games early last season, and during the summer, while trying out for the national team, she tore her ACL while chasing an opponent. Wearing a brace Tuck has participated in full-contact drills, but her time has been limited.

"I would say my leg is feeling better and if we scrimmage I will get substituted in and out again," Tuck said. "As for games I don't know."

Three out of the Raiders' first four games will be a challenge as they start by taking on another state power, Marian Catholic. Just eight days later, they go to Parkland College in Champaign to play in the Blue Star Classic against Brebuf Jesuit of Indianapolis.

After taking on Sandburg, the Raiders face a Lincoln-Way East team that ended up upsetting Marian Catholic in its first game of the season.

Other key games will be at the Nike Tournament of Champions that starts Dec. 17 in Phoenix. Bolingbrook took second in the tournament in 2008.

A big meeting against New York City's St. Michael Academy takes place Dec. 29 at the Bragging Rights Basketball Classic at Harvest Prep in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

"When we schedule games I look for the best competition for our girls," Smith said. "Anyone can schedule easy games and get wins. I want our girls to be challenged. We will go places to be challenged."

Though the season hasn't started yet, Smith has helped players on his team succeed.

On Nov. 12, seniors Nicosia Henry (Seton Hall), Mercedes Griffin (Marquette), Marissa Taylor (Indiana) and Chenyare Hosey (Murray State) all signed letters of intent to continue their playing careers in college.

Also, Smith is slowly acclimating Cabriana Capers, a sophomore who came from Minnesota, into his system. The 6-foot-1-inch Capers will be a forward and provides even more depth for Bolingbrook as they begin their march for a title.

"We have the team chemistry and all of the teammates have each other's backs when we go out onto the court," Massengale said. "We have motivation and we want that state title again to bring to Bolingbrook.

"We fell short in Phoenix last year, but this year we want to win tournament. That is the plan. We want to be the best."

Bolingbrook opens the season at home versus Marian Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday.

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