By John Miller (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
For the Central Lady Bulldogs upcoming season, they’ll lean more heavily on their inside game than in past years.
“This year, we will look to do some things differently, as we have a few big girls that can do some good things for us on the inside,” noted sixth-year coach Caitlin Lamberth. “That will allow our perimeter game to focus on handling the ball without turning it over.”
Last year, the Lady Bulldogs shot 43 percent from the floor and averaged over 15 turnovers per game. With an expected increase in production from the inside, the shooting percentage should go up. The turnover stat will be important to watch for Central this winter, especially with the graduation of First-Team All-Conference and All-District pick Dasia Pence.
“Dasia was our starting point guard for four years,” Lamberth said. “She gave us great ball-handling ability, great athleticism, and quickness at the point guard position. Her leadership and ability to create for her team with be missed highly in our program.”
In addition to the departure of Pence, Sakirah Jones and Kailey McMeekin have also graduated. Replacing their production won’t be easy.
“We will have a mix of upper and underclassmen that will need time to build team chemistry and work on their unity,” Lamberth stated. “We will still build on the positive aspects of the basketball knowledge and skills we have in order for us to be successful this season.”
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Central finished 7-19 last year and went 3-6 in the Ozark Conference. To improve on their numbers, they’ll need production from a group of returners led by team captain and junior Makaiya Brooks. Brooks averaged 20.4 points per game last year and was named First-Team All-Conference and All-District.
“She’s an all-around player,” Lamberth noted. “She has great basketball skills and a great basketball IQ. She can score the basketball at a high level, reaching 1,000 points at the end of her sophomore season. She has the ability to handle the ball, score the 3, and has become a hard worker on defense.”
Other key returners for the Lady Bulldogs include senior Chloe Chandler and junior Tekaira Finley. Chandler averaged 4.5 points and 2.2 rebounds last year, while Finely chipped in with 5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
“Chloe will be our senior leader this season,” Lamberth said. “Her work ethic has really increased her skills on the court. She is very disciplined and gets things done on the offensive and defensive end of the court. She is always willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team, making her a crucial part of what we do. Tekaira is a strong defender and shooter. She’s long and athletic and can handle the ball for us in times of need. She has worked hard over the summer to improve her game, and we will look to her to score more points for us this season.”
Central will also look for production from a pair of 6-foot-2 freshmen: Heaven Shockley and Aaliyah Pittman.
“Heaven will be utilized in many positions this season,” Lamberth said. “She has capabilities to play with her back to the basket, but with her skill set, she is capable of handling the ball on the perimeter and has a very pure shot. Aaliyah can play very well with her back to the basket, finish with her right and left hand, and she has the confidence to step away from the rim and shoot short or long jumpers.”
The Lady Bulldogs feature a lot of youth, but the pieces are there for them to take another step forward.
“We are a young team, but we have upperclassmen who are going to step up this year,” Brooks said. “We have a tough schedule, but it is only going to make us better and come together as a team.”
