Girls Basketball: Glenbrook South bounced from CSL South title race

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Colleen McDonagh goes around Hawk defender Michelle Maher during the girls varsity basketball game between host Maine South and Glenbrook South Friday February 3, 2012 in Park Ridge. Scott Hardesty/Sun-Times Media.

Updated: March 11, 2012 8:14AM

Glenbrook South may be out of the CSL South girls basketball championship race.

But the No. 24-ranked Titans still figure to be part of the equation.

Glenbrook South hosts league-leading Niles West on Friday. A win by the Wolves gives them the outright conference championship.; a Titans’ victory means No. 17 Maine South — which takes on last-place Waukegan — a share.

Niles West won the first meeting 53-40 in Skokie on Jan. 6.

The Titans dropped out of contention Friday with a 48-43 loss to the Hawks in Park Ridge.

With her team trailing by nine points in the fourth quarter, Colleen McDonagh knocked down consecutive three-pointers in a span of 22 seconds to pull Glenbrook South within three points with 4:12 to go.

But the Hawks were able to withstand the late rally, as Michelle Maher converted three free throws in the final minute.

“We’ve been down before, and we know how to fight back,” said McDonagh, who scored a game-high 18 points. “I think that the awesome part of our conference is we play so many close games. It’s one of our greatest advantages. We are not ever shell-shocked because we’ve played these type of games before.”

The loss dropped the Titans to 5-4 in league play. They bounced back Saturday with a 69-37 win over Lincoln Park, improving to 20-6 overall.

McDonagh said games like the one on Friday will prepare the Titans for the upcoming playoffs. Glenbrook South, the No. 3 seed at the New Trier Sectional, will host a regional.

The Titans struggled to come back Friday after allowing Maine South to take a 14-6 advantage. The Hawks then led 26-19 at the break and never trailed the rest of the way.

“That’s more points than we are used to giving up in the first quarter,” said McDonagh, who drained four three-pointers. “I don’t think we were mentally there on defense, and it was hard to fight back. The first half was disappointing.”

Lindsay Oldshue tallied 10 points in the loss.