Cami Phillips was always taught by her dad that teams can win games with offense, but they need defense on top of that.

That is where Phillips comes in.

The sophomore guard has quickly emerged this season as Oswego East’s defensive ace. When Wolves’ coach Abe Carretto is gameplanning to slow down opposing teams’ best guards, Phillips is the one that gets the call.

“I like it a lot,” Phillips said. “It gives me an opportunity to play against the best player and the best ballhandler. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I have a decent IQ when it comes to defense and reading players. I also watch film on a specific player. That helps me out, knowing their tendencies.”

Carretto said he’s noticed Phillips’ defensive skills for a few years now. When he watched her in middle school he saw a player who was quick, understood angles and had quick hands.

“When somebody tries to cross over in a fullcourt press she disrupts things and keeps things in front of her,” Carretto said. “She just has a pretty good sense of what might be happening. I like that she can get aggressive on a player and make them push the pace. It kind of tires them out.”

Phillips’ presence has allowed Carretto to put Katie Jorgensen, another strong on-ball defender for Oswego East (10-14), on a taller guard or a post.

“Katie enjoys playing a post player; she can get a little more physical,” Carretto said. “It helped her against Fremd and Plainfield North. Cami can stick on that off guard. If there is a guard that can handle the ball or shoot the ball for the most part Cami is on it.

“Cami just has a great attitude about it. She works hard, digs in, understands more what she needs to do in addition to the on ball. I think, for me, she takes some pride in guarding that best player out there, trying to defend some good players.”

Phillips has had some tough assignments, none tougher than Joliet West’s Lisa Thompson, a junior with some 30 Division I offers. Carretto was highly complimentary of the job Phillips did on Thompson.

“That was definitely the hardest person I’ve had to guard,” Phillips said. “Basically I had to keep her in front of me as much as I could. I had help on the help side, that helped a lot.”

Although defense is what Phillips is known for, she’s started to emerge as a consistent scorer. In the last two weeks Phillips scored eight points in a win over Naperville Central, and nine in a win over West Aurora.

Carretto said she’s been shooting more, and is a consistent shooter once she gets going, something Phillips hopes to do more of down the stretch.

“Definitely hoping to play my hardest these last few weeks and show that I have an offensive side to my game as much as a defensive side,” Phillips said, “and prove to my coaches that I have been improving in that area.”

Parkview Christian on pace for unbeaten season

Kayla Linden probably lost track of how many speeches she’s given that it was a “rebuilding year” at Parkview Christian.

But not this season.

A group of girls who were nicknamed the “Dream Team” in middle school two years ago are putting together a dream season.

Parkview Christian in Yorkville is 14-0 heading into this week. The Falcons could conceivably complete an undefeated season on its home court at the Association of Christian Schools International conference tournament Feb. 10-12.

“This team is pretty much the same team that went 19-1 in middle school two years ago. We call this team the ‘remix.’ That 2019 team was the Dream Team,” said Linden, who played in high school at Ottawa and collegiately at the University of Saint Francis in Joliet, and is in her 12th season at Parkview. “I knew it was going to be a good year. We had high expectations. To be honest, I didn’t think we would be undefeated at this point, but they’re playing well.”

Leading the way is junior post Liz Griswold, averaging 17.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game. Sophomore guard Gracie Lambes, who Linden believes will be a Division I collegiate player, is averaging 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals.

In a game at Chesterton Academy of the Holy Family in Downers Grove, a 62-44 Parkview win, Lambes scored 35 points and hit six 3-pointers.

“She was smoking hot,” Linden said. “Gracie is a great point guard. She’ll find open people.”

Junior post Maddie Linden is averaging 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds. Coach Linden calls junior Jill Shotsberger and sophomore Izzy Dreisilker her defensive specialists.

“They don’t get a ton of points but they are crucial to the success of this team,” Linden said. “We are so well-rounded. Liz will get her points but it’s fun to see everybody play a role.”

Ten of Parkview’s 14 wins have come by double digits, with its closest games a pair of two-point wins over Arthur-Okaw Christian and a one-point win over Christian Liberty of Arlington Heights.

Parkview will play in the Illinois Christian Conference tournament this weekend, and then the Association of Christian Schools tournament the following weekend.

Linden said while the thought of an unbeaten season has crossed her mind, they’re just taking it one game at a time.

“Our motto is one team, one family,” she said. “The girls are investing in one another both on and off the court. We’re a Christian school and keeping Jesus No. 1 as well. It sounds cliche, but it’s super true.”