Girls Basketball notes: Erin Stack emerging as a versatile star for St. Charles North

St. Charles North coach Mike Tomczak realizes the versatility that Erin Stack can give his team on the court.

Now it’s about unleashing it.

“There’s so many things that she can do on the floor,” Tomczak said after the North Stars’ 45-37 victory over St. Charles East on Feb. 20.

Stack found herself in multiple situations – trying to take advantage of her size in the paint, finishing at the rim, switching defensively onto guards, and whatever else the team needed.

Stack, a 6-foot-2 junior, powered her way to 17 points and five rebounds to help the North Stars defeat the Saints.

“We knew we had a little bit of a size advantage, so we wanted to make sure we featured her in this game,” Tomczak said Feb. 20. “And we did so more than we had in any other game. She did a great job catching inside and finishing. Defensively, she boarded for us. ... The progression has been excellent.

“Erin has been full-go every single day,” Tomczak continued. “Putting in her minutes in JV, working her way onto varsity last year and making an impact, and this is her year to make a difference. She’s absolutely doing that. Great kid.”

Stack definitely thinks her game “has come a long way.”

“I’m trying to work on more posting because I never really did that last year,” Stack said, referencing what primarily was Caroline Jakaitis’ role for the North Stars last year. “I realized that was a role I needed to step into for our team to be successful this year.”

Shooting and providing offense always has been a big part of Stack’s game.

“I’ve always loved shooting. When I go to the gym, yeah, I want to shoot because that’s fun,” Stack said.

Brown providing hustle plays for St. Charles East

Makenna Brown is “all about energy” this season for St. Charles East.

“I just feel like that’s where I can excel in my game right now,” said Brown, a senior guard. “Before every single game, I get the girls together and I’m like, ‘We have to hustle. That’s how we’re going to beat our rival team [North].’”

Despite fouling out in the fourth quarter of the loss to the North Stars, Brown provided solid rotations, help on defense and five rebounds for the Saints.

“Definitely energy and hustle are the two main words I’m going by this year,” Brown said.

The Saints are a bit revitalized with first-year coach Michael Murphy at the helm this season. Junior Torrie Kortan and Brown, aided by an infusion of youth with freshmen guards Lexi DiOrio and Alexis Maridis, are jump-starting a program that struggled for wins in recent years.

“It’s incredible how much we’ve come together just from last year to this year,” Brown said. “It’s been tough, but I can tell you as a senior, I just feel so much better. It helps having Alexis and Lexi on our team because they’re very solid players. Overall, we have just such a great connection as a team. We’ve come together well.”