Sophomore point guard Josie Hartman’s last name is already etched in Carmel basketball history.
But the younger sister of senior guard Anna Hartman, who was a starter when the Corsairs won their first state title two years ago, is making a name for herself too.
“People are always surprised that we are sisters because we are so different,” Anna Hartman said. “Ever since we were younger, it’s hard to admit your sister might be better than you, but she’s got a lot more potential than I do.”
Josie Hartman showed more than potential on Monday. She finished with seven points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals with just one turnover during the third-seeded Corsairs’ 57-28 win against fifth-seeded Mundelein in the Class 4A Carmel Regional semifinals.
Carmel senior forward Keira Ackerson set the stage for the lopsided win, hitting five of her career-high seven 3-pointers in the first 12-plus minutes en route to 23 points. Senior guard Ashley Schlabowske, a Wisconsin-Whitewater recruit, added 15 points for the Corsairs (16-16), who will play second-seeded Lake Zurich in the regional final at 7 p.m. Thursday..
The Mustangs (15-17) struggled from the opening tip, falling behind 12-0 and 37-13. Senior forward Rylan Foster, a four-year starter, finished with eight points.
“We were a little flat in the beginning and had a little bit of a rough start,” Mundelein coach Sarah Teipel said. “We couldn’t put the ball in the basket at the beginning, so it was tough to get some rhythm going.”
Ackerson got in a rhythm early. Hartman’s drive-and-dish game allowed Ackerson to take several wide-open shots.
“Josie has been really strong for us this year,” Ackerson said. “She definitely gives me a lot of looks by driving in there.”
The Hartmans both play soccer and basketball but focus on different sports. The 5-foot-6 Anna Hartman, who has been sidelined this season after suffering a torn ACL for the second time, is an elite soccer player. The 5-9 Josie Hartman’s main sport is basketball, and she is averaging 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 deflections.
“Her nickname is ‘Monkey’ because she has long arms and long legs,” Anna Hartman said.
Josie Hartman, who does have a long wingspan, can attack the basket with either hand and guard four positions. Since moving to point guard, she has helped open up the offense with her penetration and passing.
“She’s more willing to play aggressively and shoot the ball,” Carmel coach Ben Berg said. “We need her to shoot the ball to be successful against really good teams. She will make the right play most of the time. Her basketball IQ is off the charts.”
Anna Hartman has had a front-row seat for that, although watching Josie wasn’t the plan.
“It’s tough because last year when she was a freshman, I only played at the end of the season and in only a few games,” Anna Hartman said. “I never really got a season with her. That’s what we were looking forward to. But I love watching her play, so that kind of makes up for it.”
For Carmel’s senior night, Josie Hartman wore Anna’s No. 24 jersey.
“It was very emotional,” Josie Hartman said. “She’s my biggest role model. Seeing her work hard and coming back from two ACL tears just inspires me every day to represent her on the court.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.
