By Chris Parker
Exeter girls basketball will be looking to bounce back from a one-win season this year. Defense will be a focus for the Tigers.
“We are going to focus more on the defensive side of things this year,” Exeter head coach Dustin Foster said. “I think the offense will take care of itself especially if we are able to create more turnovers on the defensive side.”
Senior Aubry Antle will be the team’s leader. She averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last year.
“Aubry brings three years of varsity experience to the team,” Foster said. “She’s a sharp shooter who will help space the floor for us. I think this could be her best year yet if she is able to stay healthy.”
Jasmine Hall (junior forward), Emma Sorensen (junior guard), Madison Crumpler (junior forward), Natalie Crumpler (sophomore guard) and Makenze Shaw (sophomore guard/forward) are all returning players for Exeter.
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Foster on Hall: “Bo is going to be asked to step up big this year. She’s going to need to be our main post presence on both sides of the court. The improvement she’s made has been great. I think she’ll step up to the challenge and excel.”
Foster on Sorensen: “Emma is a great athlete who has improved tremendously every year. She’ll look to continue that trend this year. She’s aggressive defensively and is quick to the ball.”
Foster on Madison Crumpler: “Maddie has a great knack for rebounding. That’s always her main focus and tries to model her game after the great Dennis Rodman. She’s going to continue to be a great asset to the team as she is also continuously putting in work on her scoring.”
Foster on Natalie Crumpler: “Last year she was asked to do quite a bit for the team just as a freshman. She fought illnesses for a good portion of the season. I think this season she’ll see a great improvement on both sides of the floor.”
Foster on Shaw: “She did well last season with the time she was given. She’s improved her jump shot over the summer and has stayed consistent on defense.”
Junior Kara Myddleton along with freshmen Dawnee Sorensen and Trinity Atkinson will be new players to watch for Exeter this year.
Foster on Myddleton: “Kara is coming back after having a year off. It will be interesting to see what all she brings to the table straight off the rip. She should be able to provide us another ball handler as well as another potential shooter.”
Foster on Sorensen: “Dawnee will have a quick impact on the team. Over the summer she brought a burst of play to the team that everyone noticed immediately the difference she provided. She should be able to feed off of that and continue to grow as the season goes on.”
Foster on Atkinson: “Trinity will bring another option at the guard position. She’s a good ball handler who will help open things up offensively and her quickness will help on the defensive side as well.”
While the focus will be on defense, limiting turnovers on offense will also be key for Exeter.
“We will need to take care of the ball on the offensive side,” Foster said. “If we are able to eliminate some of the turnovers we give away we will be able to easily win more games and be more competitive.”
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Exeter opens the season on Nov. 22 at home against Southwest.
“We hope to see some improvement from last year. We hope to see everyone step up to contribute, even the underclassman. If everyone comes in ready to get to work and get things done then we will see great results,” Foster said. “Our identity will be a hard-nosed defensive team that likes to pressure the ball. I think people will overlook us and we’ll try to thrive on the underdog mentality.”
