By Kai Raymer (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
A lot was going to change for the Miller Lady Cardinals after last season. Senior guard Alyssa Hill wasn’t concerned.
Miller’s new head coach was no stranger, as Ryan White moved up from assistant.
And, despite graduating three decorated seniors, help was on the way with the incoming freshmen class.
“Having the seniors we had last year, I saw what it was like to play with them and I watched these younger girls play in junior high,” Hill said. “I knew from the beginning that we were going to be successful. Our three freshmen who start, they work really well together. As soon as we started playing together last summer, there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to go far.”
New cast, same result: District champions.
Miller won its fifth straight district title on Saturday, dominating Marion C. Early (Morrisville) 59-35 in the Class 2 District 13 Tournament championship game. Five Lady Cardinals scored eight or more, led by Hill’s 14 points.
“To get to coach one of the dominant forces in Class 2, it’s really special,” White said. “For me to be able to step in and just be a part of it, it’s great. Those girls, they deserve all the credit.”
Hill, a four-year starter, has been around for the majority of Miller’s district title streak. She said this year’s squad stands out for its team-first style.
“This team is very unselfish,” Hill said. “It’s not like we’ve been selfish in the past, but I think everyone’s priority is making sure everyone gets their points when they come. No one’s going to get 15 points in a quarter. That’s one thing Coach White preaches: Don’t be selfish. That’s very special to have.”
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Miller will face Archie (19-9 overall) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at Harrisonville High School in the Class 2 sectional round. With two wins next week, Miller would earn its first final four berth since 2010.
The Lady Cardinals (24-4 overall, No. 4-ranked in Class 2 state poll) start three freshmen and two seniors, with a third senior (Hailey Mart) contributing as the sixth man.
The older girls have waited their turn to be in the spotlight.
“Our seniors lead the way,” White said. “They had a lot to prove because they were always kind of in the shadow of the star players we had in the past. Not to take away from what our past players did, but those girls – the current seniors – were on those teams, too. Our seniors are the reason why it’s five in a row now. If those girls aren’t on our team, who knows.”
Miller dominated from the opening tip on Saturday. The Lady Cardinals led 19-5 after the first quarter, by 12 at halftime and 48-29 entering the fourth.
Miller, which beat Marion C. Early twice in the regular season, controlled the game with its full-court press. The Lady Cardinals added that wrinkle midway through the season.
“We just felt as we became good with our defense and our confidence grew… It was a question of, ‘How do we get some more turnovers?’ White said. “We put that press in, and now it’s kind of been our thing. It’s huge to be able to pressure without fouling and get those easy buckets.
“And we struggled offensively early in the season. I knew we would, because of our youth. I just tried to figure out how to give our young kids a chance to go get an easy layup instead of having to run offense for minutes at a time to get a score.”
Hill said the Lady Cardinals felt no extra pressure trying to continue the program’s district title streak on Saturday.
“It’s almost become normal,” she said. “It’s what we do. We want to win, we want to go far. It just felt like we were playing a regular basketball game today. No pressure.
“Not many people get to experience that feeling, where you go into districts without fearing it. It’s a lot of fun to be able to go do it with these girls, the past girls and always succeed through it.”
Junior post Taylor Blehm led Marion C. Early with nine points. The Lady Panthers, who have no seniors on the roster, finish the season 17-10 overall.
Miller 59, Marion C. Early 35
Marion C. Early 5 15 9 6 — 35
Miller 19 13 16 11 — 59
Marion C. Early (17-10 overall) – Taylor Blehm 9, Maggie Painter 8, Sara Mochales 6, Adonay Bess 5, Macie Letterman 3, Lilly Thompson 2, Hailey Presley 2
Miller (24-4 overall) – Alyssa Hill 14, Loghann Leivan 12, Ashlynn Helton 12, Haylie Schnake 11, Rachel Nunez 8, Kaylee Thom 2
