This season has been one for the books. Varsity girl’s basketball players have put up some impressive stats. As of Jan. 30th the team is ranked 4th in the Omaha World Herald with a season record of 13-5.
Starting with birthday magic between Izzie Galligan and Emma Vanderplaats who got 16 and 17 points on their 16 and 17th birthdays, respectively. Followed by the impressive accomplishments of Avril Smith who got her 500th career rebound this season at the Jan. 16th versus Lincoln Northeast game, making Smith ranked 6th of all time at MN.
While pushing the team to do their best, Paulson also creates a healthy environment where each player is given the chance to show their worth on the court. This not only benefits the team morale but also helps the players during game time.
“I think our depth gives us an advantage against opponents because we truly believe we can go to everybody on our roster,” Paulson said. “Most teams only play seven or eight girls, so with us being able to play 11+ it gives us an advantage and we feel like we can play harder for longer. We try to take advantage of that. We have a very talented roster. And so it’s to our advantage to play as many girls as we possibly can. ”
The team has depth, and is very young. However, age isn’t a concerning factor because of how skilled the players are. Captain Junior Sara Harley believes their age will only help the team in the long run.
“We have one senior this year but I feel like we’re still very strong. So once we lose that one senior we can keep going. Last year our seniors set a tone for us and we used it this year and we’re continuing to build with it,” Harley said.
Throughout the season, the girls have honed and developed their skills. Not only that, but they’ve worked hard to build unbreakable friendships. The combination of skill and trust has been a key to their success.
“They play well together, they are a very cohesive group. We’re very young, but we saw a return of a lot of experience from last year. And our schedule has been very, very challenging. So our girls have really risen to the occasion night after night of playing a difficult opponent pretty much every night. So it’s been fun to see the growth and the progress throughout the season,” Paulson said
The chemistry on the team is undeniable. Harley believes the cohesiveness of the team is affected by how well the girls all get along with one another.
“A lot of us played with each other when we were younger. It’s like the connections just keep growing and growing. And with dinners and team bonding, we’re always together, on and off the court and it’s just a very strong bond we have,” Harley said.
Each player plays a part in scoring points for the team, making it difficult for opponents to pinpoint how to stop the team. Having multiple talented players is rare to come by in high school ball.
“That’s great team basketball, I think our top five scorers are all averaging anywhere from nine points to six points a game which is tough to scout if you’re an opponent, because you don’t know who to stop, because anybody can step up and be the lead scorer any given night.” Paulson said.
As a captain, Sophomore, Izzie Galligan takes initiative on and off the court by making sure she plays her part. Through positive reinforcement and communication she helps lead the team.
“I think I’ve stepped up as a leader by being more vocal and keeping everyone in line and making sure everyone’s playing their part. Everyone has a huge role on the team. So I need to make sure everyone understands that they’re a big part of the team. And they can do big things. I try to boost everyone’s confidence, so they know that they can do anything they can.” Galligan said.
Through hard work and dedication this team is climbing to the top. Game after game they show they deserve their rank as they persist. These girls deserve the recognition for their talent and their bond. I guess you can say this really is the dream team.