Reeds Spring girls basketball struggled through a nine-win season with a young team last year, as the three leading scorers were underclassmen and only two seniors were on the roster.
The young Lady Wolves saw improvement throughout the season and then over this past summer as well.
“Our youth led to a rollercoaster season but consistency steadily grew. Playing strong teams pushed these girls out of their comfort zone and forced them to get better or sit down, and they got better,” Reeds Spring head coach Lesley Reeves-Eakins said. “They are moving so well together and the fast pace is getting more and more consistent. We are no longer scared to shoot the basketball and that’s great to see.”
Kalena Asbill was the lone player to average double figures in scoring at 10.3 points per game as a sophomore. She was a force defensively with 5.7 steals per game to go with 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
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“Kalena will continue to lead the team offensively and defensively. Her fast aggressive defense is what allowed her to score for the most part last year,” Reeves-Eakins said. “This year look for her to take more shots out of the half-court offense as well as from a fast break. This young lady puts in countless hours doing everything she can to get better and be better.”
Carley Reeves-Eakins came in as a freshman last year and led the Lady Wolves in rebounding at 7.0 per game to go with 6.5 points per contest.
“Carley did a great job rebounding especially since she played the two guard the majority of the season,” Reeves-Eakins said. “She reads the ball off the boards well and will continue to be strong in that area.”
Junior Shelby Strailey will step up to run the offense with Asbill, which will provide Reeves-Eakins the latitude to play inside more. Seniors Jenni Andrews and Tara Sampson will provide leadership for the Lady Wolves. Sophomore Brooke Davis will see and expanded role and provide outside shooting the Lady Wolves missed last year, as they knocked down just 22 3-pointers last season.
Reeves-Eakins is hoping her girls can take the experience from last year and translate it into wins this year, but she knows they won’t sneak up on anybody.
“This season is going to be tougher than last year due to the fact last year there were no huge expectations,” Reeves-Eakins said. “We caused some people to take notice so they are going to expect us to build on where we left off. I feel confident that we have grown and will continue to grow. We are still extremely young still, but we are ready to take on the challenges ahead.”
Reeds Spring opens the season at the Blue Eye Invitational from Nov. 27 through Dec. 2.
