Evergreen Park senior Tatum Harris spent plenty of time over the last offseason in the gym working on her jump shot.
She’s seen those hours pay off in a big way.
Her shots from distance are dropping with consistency, and her confidence is as strong as ever.
Hitting three 3-pointers in just over two minutes late in the first half, Harris helped the host Mustangs regain control on the way to a 50-43 win over rival Oak Lawn on Jan. 23.
It was Evergreen Park’s first win in the series since the 2016-17 season.
“It’s like a dream sequence,” Harris said. “It’s crazy, for real. It was amazing. All those shots I was taking in practice (were) to get ready for game situations. I’m able to knock them down.”
Harris finished with 22 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Sophomore Yaritza Mendez (12 points), senior Grace Kole (eight points, 10 rebounds) and junior Ella Throndson (seven points, six rebounds) also starred for the Mustangs.
An sluggish first quarter left EP in an early 9-5 hole, but Harris then found her groove.
The 5-11 forward hit three 3s over the final 2:07 in the second quarter, all from the wing.
After dealing with some ups and downs in her game over the holidays, Harris said she’s back on track again.
“I’m feeling great,” Harris said. “This game really got me going. I’m expecting to have more good games coming.”
Harris, a three-year varsity player, is getting interest from NAIA and Division III schools but hasn’t committed yet.
Helping lead the second-half charge against a stubborn Oak Lawn squad, Harris was everywhere, scoring nine points and piling up assists and rebounds.
That all-around game wasn’t always there. But like her jumper, she made sure to add those layers to her game in practice.
“I’ve definitely grown into it,” Harris said. “Freshman and sophomore year I was really just a catch-and-shoot player. Now, I can do all these things.”
She is a team captain with Kole, the only other senior on the roster.
Mendez, a 5-3 junior, hit two timely 3s in the second half and also hit two free throws in the final 40 seconds to help ice the game.
“I was nervous, but I did have that confidence in myself,” Mendez said. “I knew I had to help the team out. It feels amazing. We definitely have a lot of confidence. I’m excited to see where our team goes.”
EP improved to 17-6 overall and 6-2 in the South Suburban Red with conference games remaining against Argo, Eisenhower, Richards, Reavis and Shepard.
The Mustangs last won a conference title in 1989.
“We definitely want to get the conference win,” Harris said. “Today was a big win, as well as beating our rival. It was great overall.”
Senior Bianca Fleitas led Oak Lawn with 19 points.
Juniors Kenadie Haubenreiser (eight points, nine rebounds) and Olivia Perry (four points, five rebounds, three blocks) and seniors Sara Abdelrahman (six points) and Emma Delberto (four points, six rebounds) also chipped in.
Oak Lawn (14-10, 4-4) was without a starter due to illness.
“We have a team that fights,” coach Mark Sevedge said. “We’ll fight until the game is over. We’re an inexperienced group beside Bianca and Olivia. We’ve had some growing pains throughout the season. After our tournament in Florida (over Christmas), I thought we were hitting our stride and playing really well.”