Hampton girls basketball enters season of unknowns

By: John Grupp
Saturday, December 7, 2024 | 11:01 AM

The Hampton girls basketball team graduated its all-time leading scorer, but that’s only part of the change.

From the roster to the schedule, just about everything is different.

The Talbots must replace five starters, including all-state guard and all-time scoring leader Meghan Murray, and have moved from Class 5A into Class 4A, where they will play in an unfamiliar section of Beaver County schools.

“I’m excited,” junior forward Erin Baker said. “We have a nice opportunity in front of us. We can grow together and build as one team. I think that’s an exciting way to look at the season.”

Hampton’s Tony Howard estimates this is “maybe the third time” in his 18 seasons as a head coach that he’s had a completely new starting lineup. He is also working with a 13-player roster without any seniors.

“I think our starters are probably going to be a moving target,” said Howard, in his 10th season at Hampton. “It’s not going to be like last year. … This year we’re really trying to fill out our starters. We’re really young. We’ll probably go seven or eight deep and give everybody equal opportunity.”

Murray left the biggest void, departing for Division I Kent State after scoring a program-best 1,537 career points. The Talbots will use balanced scoring in their effort to replace Murray, a second-team all-state pick who averaged 22 points per game as a senior.

“I think we can handle it,” junior guard Maria Nyilas said. “We’re up for a challenge.”

Among the returning players, only 6-foot sophomore forward Katie Christy and sophomore guard Harper Gibbons saw substantial varsity playing time last season. Christy is an athletic inside presence and could become the offensive focal point for the Talbots, who went 12-11 last season and reached the WPIAL playoffs for the 30th time in the past 32 years. Howard also feels confident about his team’s ability to rebound and its physical play.

“I think we look good,” Christy said. “With limited varsity experience, I feel like it’s going to be hard to get the first few games. But after that I think we will get ahold of it.”

Others vying for a starting role are Baker, Nyilas, 5-6 junior guard Ellie Alexander and sophomore point guard Ellie Klocko.

“I’m excited to help out my team this year,” Alexander said. “It will definitely be interesting to play on the varsity court more than in previous years. That will be fun, and I’m glad I get to do it with people that also haven’t had a crazy amount of experience.”

The Talbots were moved down to Class 4A during the offseason enrollment-based realignment, but they face a schedule of relative unknowns. Their opponents in Section 2-4A are Ambridge, Beaver, defending PIAA Class 4A champion Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell and Lincoln Park.

“It’s a little bit of an odd placement for us,” Howard said. “We’ve got some bus rides to get to know each other. But I think it will be good for us, going down to 4A and getting out and seeing some different teams and different styles and different coaches.”

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