Lemont’s Magdalene Mikroulis isn’t sure about her future when it comes to playing basketball.
The senior guard, however, is still mulling over her options.
“I have some interest from a couple of schools, so I’ll see where the wind takes me,” she said. “I haven’t decided on a college yet. But if anything gets thrown my way, I’m open to anything.”
Mikroulis could ride the wind of momentum to a college if she plays like she did Tuesday night.
The 5-foot-8 Mikroulis scored a team-high 13 points — including nine in the second half — to help lead visiting Lemont to a 36-33 South Suburban Blue victory over Oak Forest.
Khloe Madej scored all of her 10 points in the second half and added seven rebounds and four steals for Lemont (10-10, 4-5). Claire Podrebarac picked up eight points, three rebounds and three steals, while Mackenzie Strehlau produced seven rebounds and two steals off the bench.
Natalia Covarrubias led Oak Forest (18-10, 2-5) with 17 points, including five in a wild final minute that shaved an eight-point deficit down to three. Maddie Martinez finished with six of her nine points in the fourth quarter. She also had six rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots.
During the frantic final minutes of the game, Lemont counted on Mikroulis for senior leadership.
“Man, you know ‘Mags’ is a steady presence,” Lemont coach Tracy Rainey said. “She’s been on varsity since her freshman year.
“For this game specifically, we were calling out to her to settle everyone down in the last three or four minutes. She has that ability to do that. When she’s in the game, people feel confident.”
The ending was frenzied, but what earned Lemont the win was its defense in the third quarter. Oak Forest held a 14-12 lead at halftime as both teams struggled to score.
But Lemont made it even tougher on the Bengals by holding them scoreless for more than 6 1/2 minutes in piling up a 25-14 lead.
“Honestly, we were just trying to play hard-nosed defense,” Mikroulis said. “We needed to try to keep the lead that we just got and to hold them.
“It was a big night. It was their senior night, and we wanted to hold ourselves accountable on defense. We needed to move our feet so we wouldn’t get into foul trouble.”
Madej confirmed that she finds herself in foul trouble quite a bit, so she was glad she could perform well against Oak Forest.
“It was a very intense game and it was really important that we stayed on our toes and flowed with whatever they were bringing at us,” she said. “I think we did that well in this game.”
Only a sophomore, Madej also appreciates what Mikroulis brings to the team.
“She’s great — I love her,” Madej said of Mikroulis. “Sometimes, she’s a little intense, but it’s all to make us better. She’s a great captain, and I’ve loved playing with her.”
Mikroulis, a four-year varsity player, was a quick study in the seventh grade when she was introduced to the sport by watching her brother, Tasso, play in a church league.
“He was my mentor,” she said of her brother. “I watched him play and it looked like a lot of fun. I wanted have that fun, too, so the first time I picked up a ball, I don’t think I ever put it back down.”
Mikroulis praised her brother for making a difference in her game.
“He taught me how to be resilient and keep my focus,” she said. “He taught me to not let my emotions get the best of me, hold myself accountable and to lift all my teammates when I’m on the floor.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
