Lady Pirates b-ball preps for tip-off

POLSON —Last season’s rendition of the Lady Pirates (7-14) doubled their win total from the preceding 2014-15 season (3-17), showing measurable improvement in competitiveness (2013-14 5-17). Their most impressive win was over SWA runnerup Dillon (46-35) during the opening season tournament, which ultimately took the 3rd-seed out of the West into the state A tournament where they finished fourth. The Lady Pirate also took two out of three from SWA Stevensville (43-56, 31-26, div 42-31) and split their series with NWA Whitefish (31-33, 44-42) in a pair of nail biters. Cross-classification clashes with class B schools netted three of four, sweeping 7B Libby (44-32, 42-38), caging 7B Eureka (49-30), but falling to 6B Ronan (48-64) despite their second best scoring outing of the season. The only other game that merits mention was the Buc’s bash with the Broncs in Frenchtown (41-49), where they led the contest at the half, but fell short despite good second half scoring output on account of a season high quarter scoring escalation by the Lady Broncs.

Adaptations to the LP roster

Polson graduated a quartet of seasoned players that include thrice all-conference (2nd-tm 2014-16, hm 2013-14) post Nichole Lake; soccer all-state, twice all-conference (Northern A 1st-tm 2015, Far West 2nd-tm 2012) guard Brenna Clarke; tennis twice all-state (2016: singles 5th / 2015: singles 6th), thrice all-conference (2015-16 singles, 2014 doubles) guard Marlee Congdon and track & field throws all-state (jav 3rd), multi-event all-conference (2016: jav 5th, shot 6th / 2015: jav 3rd, shot 4th) as well as softball 14U ASA 2011 state champion post Erin Sampson. Lady Pirate roster reconfiguration will be further impacted by a pair of transfers among other considerations that include all-conference (NE-1B-N hm 2013-14) wing Makenna Weltz and reserve guard Kyler Lundeen.

Roster returnees

Infusing the Lady Pirate roster will be a trio of seniors that include 5-9 guard Lauren “Double L” Lefthand, 6-0 post Mollie Fisher along with 5-6 wing Mikayla Croft.

Opponents are in for an L of a time trying to contain Double L, who spells double trouble at both ends of the court not only as the returning leading pilferer of prized possessions, but also as leading scorer among returnees. Lefthand has placed among a half dozen categories of the NWA Conference Top Ten the past pair of seasons.

Fisher was represented among the NWA conference elite for blocking shots and reeled in multiple dozen rebounds. Shout outs of “go Fish” from a partisan Pirate gallery seek to energize Fisher to play those cards in just the right manner when she books her way down the court.

Croft has been honing her skills in the offseason in anticipation of picking up some of the slack left in the wake of departures. A “Mak attack” in this context aren’t references to an order out for double deck burgers, but rather to incidents like burgling of the ball when Croft steps up her playmaking a couple of notches by getting up in the grill of opponents.

A pair of junior returnees with substantial varsity experience include softball all-state, twice all-conference (1st-tm, 2nd-tm) 5-9 guard Kaelyn Smith and cross-country all-conference (2014) 5-7 wing Quinn Motichka. Despite functioning in a capacity mostly as supplemental reserves last season, their roles are anticipated to become greatly expanded. The tandem combined for over 50 stolen bases last softball season, denoting speed and quickness among their resourceful assets.

Another pair of less seasoned juniors include soccer twice all-conference (2nd-tm) JaNessa Taylor and soccer twice all-conference (2nd-tm) Marina Mayorga, who could see minutes of action once they assimilate playbook procedures. If a crucial dictum of basketball mastery begins with sound footwork, then this soccer savvy pair have their feet in the doorway when it comes to such feats of fundamental finesse.

A pair of sophomores who are anticipated to scuff their sneakers on the hardwood court for minutes at a time include 5-6 guard Rhiley Big Beaver and 5-9 post Olivia Perez. Both BigBeaver as well as Perez have shown an aptitude for adapting their skill sets to accommodate the raising of the bar on the level of competition at the varsity level. Big Beaver tends to rile opponents at both ends of the floor, leading the froshmore squad in scoring while cresting the century plateau for seasonal scoring with her junior varsity minutes taken into account. As the daughter of the Salish Kootenai College Lady Bison women’s basketball coach, Perez knows a thing or two about making strategic moves at opportune times.

Although it is too early in the preseason practice regimen to identify others who are liable to contribute their skills to varsity action, a pool of additional sophomores who could see time on the court include 5-7 wing Mahala Buffalo, 5-5 guard Lisa Costilla, 5-4 guard Kaylanna DesJarlais, 5-5 guard Natasha Gravelle, 5-4 wing Jerrica McCrea, 5-9 post Alex Pierre and 5-9 post Sarah Wood. The availability of Ronan transfer Veyanna Webster will be limited to junior varsity action until the timeframe of eligibility criteria are fulfilled.

Freshman infusing the program include Ellie Ayers, Aisha Clarke, Vayda Cutfinger, Elizabeth Hill, Kim McPhail, Shayla Olson, Grace Quinones, Josie Salois, Misty Tenas and Sharmaine Zempel.

Prognosis on the pending season:

Head coach Joe Quinn helms the voyage of the Lady Pirate for a second season, assisted by Terry Souhrada, Betsy Wade and Lauren Lynch.

If the Lady Pirates aspire to improve upon their record from preceding seasons, they will want to leave in the rear view mirror those calendar numbers that they averaged much of the first half of their season last year. Slow starts and bouts of scoring anemia plagued them as influential factors in most of those losses. They won only one game in which the final score ended with a calendar number. By contrast to the nine games in which they scored into the 40s, they won a half dozen while remaining in contention until the latter going in a pair of others. Team LP averaged just under three dozen points per game last season while surrendering an average just under four dozen. If they can bolster their scoring into the 40s on a more consistent basis coupled with some tweaks to the defense to shave points away from their opponents, the Lady Pirates would go far to move their record north of .500 while remaining in contention longer in several other contests.

Around the region of the Northwest, the Pirates along with the rest of the conference are anticipated to trail the Kats of Columbia Falls once again, a team which can field its entire starting rotation measuring at 5-10 on up that have been playing together as far back as the fourth grade. That kind of height asset provides a distinct advantage in any game of inches. Around the Southwest, the defending State A champion Butte Central Lady Maroons only graduated a pair of seniors, making them a favorite to likewise vie for one of the top slots out of the West. But the remaining pair of places remain wide open given the parity among the remainder. If the Lady Pirates can build upon the positive aspects from last year and continue to mature as this season progresses, they could position themselves for a place among the upper rungs of the hierarchical ladder when the postseason rolls around.

Polson inaugurates their schedule at the NWA vs. SWA Tip-Off Tournament in Missoula against Dillon and Corvallis the weekend of December 9-10. They will host the visiting Kalispell Glacier Lady Wolfpack in their home opener on Tuesday, December 13.

LADY PIRATE STAT PACK

2015-16 Polson Lady Pirates (7-14) 738pts

Nicole Lake (season 233p,*177r,45s; career v4yr 530p,445r, 47a, 89s; cum4yrs 827p, 662r, 74a, 137s)

Brenna Clarke (season 110p, 103r, 59a, 54s; career v3yr 195p,172r,83a,103s; v+jv3yr 297p,195r,100a,132s w/o Oregon jv 11ppg)

Marlee Congdon (season 86p, 30r; career v2yr 207p, 58r, 36a, 30s; cum4yr 371p, 135r, 76a, 78s)

Erin Sampson (season 21p, 76r; career v2yr 80p,194r,39s; cum4yr 306p,406r,114s,36a)

Lauren Lefthand (v3yr – 253p, 123r, 72s, 78a, 19b)

Mollie Fisher (fr-v cum 3yr – 316p, *154r, *51s, *22a, *54b)

Mikayla Croft (fr-v cum 3yr – 140p, *41r, *29s, *14a, *3b)

Asterisk (*) denotes 2015-16 jv stat specs not integrated.

Abbreviation key: p (points), r (rebounds), s (steals), a (assists), b (blocks), v (varsity), cum (cumulative), fr-v (frosh thru varsity including jv).