Hampton girls basketball rolls with new pieces

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, January 7, 2018 | 11:24 PM

Previous Next

Previous Next

Last year at this juncture, Tony Howard had a well-oiled machine. This year, he's still trying to figure out how the parts fit.

Not that it matters much in the win column for the Hampton girls basketball team (6-2, 4-0), which is primed to contend for another section title. But with two starting spots open coming into the season, patience has been necessary.

“Years past, we've been maybe as good as we're going to get at this point in the year,” he said. “I'm kind of excited to see how we can just keep improving and see these girls get game experience in game situations.”

That progress is already evident. Senior Brooke Fuller has been solid as a returning starter to complement star guards Ali Collins and Laryn Edwards, but the other two positions were up in the air.

Those spots quickly were solidified by the play of senior guard Alisha Januck and junior forward Maddie Stevens.

“Some of the less-experienced players are starting to realize what their role is,” Howard said. “I look back to where we were at the first scrimmage of the year. We keep improving, we keep getting better every week.”

Januck has settled in as a complementary shooting guard, and Stevens has been an integral part of the team's post play and rebounding efforts.

Still, if the Talbots are to advance to the WPIAL championship after consecutive years of losing in the semifinals, Collins (20.5 points per game) and Edwards (19.4) are going to take them there.

With the team averaging 55 points on offense, Collins and Edwards account for more than 70 percent of the team's scoring output. It's a wonder Howard can give them rest, but newfound depth from the likes of freshmen Olivia Bianco and Kate Schmitt has allowed them to catch their breath.

“We do have big scorers every once in a while in our games,” Collins said. “But we do need more scoring. Last game we did have more scorers against Franklin Regional, which is a good team.”

Still, added depth has helped keep Howard's primary scorers fresh.

“I've been able to give Ali and Lauren more breaks this year,” Howard said. “Which is kind of ironic, but it's really seemed to help their shooting and their game, even if it's a minute at the end of the quarter.”

Collins agrees.

“We do feel like there's more help,” she said. “There's a few freshmen that came up that help us with breaks and so forth.”

As the team looks to improve and keep winning, Howard is proud of the bond that has developed in what he calls an “absolutely tremendous” locker room.

“Honestly, I think we're good friends on and off the court,” Collins said. “Communicating and talking in the locker room boosts our confidence a lot and helps us out.”

Devon Moore is a freelance writer.

Tags: Hampton