McLegends ladies-girls games marked by fierce play

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Feistiness, as evidenced by Rachel Gromala-Binole (right) has been a hallmark of past Lady McLegends games. | File photo

Updated: November 24, 2011 3:34AM

Kathlyn McClain remembers being launched into a table.

Roslyn Turner remembers a lot of smack talking.

I remember Joy Rauch-Bacino sending more than a few kids — who dared drive to the basket — flying.

If you think the first game of Saturday’s McLegends X at Thornton High School featuring the Beggars Pizza Lady McLegends and the 2011 High School Girls All-Stars is all about sugar and spice and everything nice, you’re badly mistaken.

This isn’t a mere undercard to the men’s game featuring former NFLers and boys high school seniors, it’s a main event.

In the past if you’ve passed up the women vs. girls on Friday and only showed up for the men vs. boys game on Saturday, get to Thornton by 11 a.m. and take advantage of a chance at doubling up for the first time.

What’s at stake is domination in the series. The women lead three games to two, having scored victories in the first two and again in 2009. But the kids prevailed last season by the series’ widest margin 89-71.

Eight of the players in this year’s game have indelible memories of the very first one, played in 2006 at Marian Catholic and won by the Lady McLegends 101-96.

Roslyn Turner, as she has in every game played thus far, was the leading scorer for the women with 21 points. Her current McLegends teammate, McClain, was on the girls team representing Marian.

“She was feisty,” Turner, a 1996 Bloom grad, remembered. “We were going at it (verbally) during the game, but after the game we shook hands. We left everything on the court.”

Including some of McClain’s skin.

“One of the old Marian girls (Stephanie Grubisic) on the McLegends team shoved me into the scorer’s table when we were chasing after a loose ball,” McClain said. “It’s more competitive than people think.”

Other current McLegends who played in that first game as high schoolers were Jacqie Storm (Sandburg), Kate Grunauer (Marist) and Maureen Downs (Marist).

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, these women are much taller, faster and stronger, but we put up a good fight,’ ” Storm said. “Being a McLegend now is awesome. It’s an opportunity to play in an organized game with old friends and see the talent at the high school level.”

Downs had quite the assignment when she played for the kids in ’06.

“I was nervous about having to guard Rachel (Gromala) Binole,” Downs said. “I had played against Hillcrest in the Hillcrest Christmas Tournament and just remembered Rachel (who was an assistant coach) being so much taller.

“I laugh now, because Rachel (6-2) isn’t that much taller than me (5-10). But with her competitiveness, I’m glad to be playing with her rather than against her.”

If Gromala-Binole, a 1997 Marian graduate, seemed larger than life in the first game, it’s because she was trying to be. It was more than the kids she was trying to beat.

“Pat Kelly was coaching the younger ones, so I was playing against my old high school coach,” Gromala-Binole said. “I wanted to turn it up another notch just to show how much my game had changed since I played at Marian.

“I certainly remember that we were not going to go in there and play lightly. We were trash-talking from the second we walked in.”

The kids answered with an early slap, racing to a 14-point first-half lead with a fast-paced attack. But the McLegends turned up the physicality and got back into it. The ladies eventually won it with lights-out shooting from 3-point range, four of them coming from Marian alum Jana Panici.

Gromala-Binole hit the tide-turning shot of the night, a 3 with 2:09 remaining to break a 90-all tie.

Another charter and current member of the Lady McLegends is Kim Harris-Fudge (2000 Bloom). She had a big night in the 2007 game with 13 points to help the women win a second time 68-66.

“The first McLegends game was very exciting to me because it was the first of its kind for the women,” Harris-Fudge said. “I remember wondering how much the All-Stars being in great shape would hurt us, and how much our knowledge and understanding of the game would hurt them.

“So far, I think that is what each team focuses on each year. The All-Stars look to run us every year and the McLegends rely a lot on our basketball smarts.”

And maybe a hip check or two into the scorer’s table. This year, the ladies should be hungrier than ever, considering the spanking they got from the kids in 2010.

“We were still recovering from wearing baby pink uniforms the year before,” Gromala-Binole said laughing. “But really, for anybody who is competitive, losing like that just puts fuel in the fire.

“The only conversation at practice is, we’re getting it done.”