By Chris Parker
Dadeville girls basketball returns four upperclassmen to lead the team this year. The Lady Bearcats are chasing the program’s first season above .500 since 2012-13.
Breanna Wince will be the team’s lone senior. She averaged 11.3 points per game last year in limited time. She missed half the season due to injury.
“(Wince) is well-rounded in all aspects of the game and is a pure shooter from the three-point line,” Dadeville head coach John Roller said. “She was First-Team All-District as a sophomore, and no doubt would have repeated her junior year had she not missed half the season.”
Juniors Chloe Cornelison and Ellie Mitchell return after playing key roles last year.
Cornelison earned all-conference honors after she led the team in scoring (12.7 ppg), rebounding (9.1 rpb) and blocks (1.5 bpg) last year.
“She can shoot from inside or outside,” Roller said. “A lot of talent that just keeps improving, Chloe was last year’s team MVP.”
Mitchell was thrust into a larger role last year than expected due to injuries.
“Ellie spent last season as the replacement point guard (1.5 APG), something totally unexpected but also a great growing experience,” Roller said. “With those offensive improved skills, her natural leadership and work ethic, and her role as ‘the stopper’ on defense, look for this season to be a breakout year. Ellie won last year’s coveted ‘Bearcat Award’.”
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Dadeville will also get the services of Libby Lakey back this year. She missed last year due to health related issues. As a freshman, Lakey was a first-team all-conference selection who averaged 13.1 points and 4.1 assists per game.
“Unfortunately, she missed her entire sophomore season due to health issues – a huge disappointment to her and the team,” Roller said. “Those issues seem to all be behind her as she came back strong during the summer and is having an outstanding cross country season this fall. It will be great to have her back on the court.”
Sophomores Malory Wince, Lilly Cornelison and Ruby Griffin all return after seeing varsity action as freshmen.
Roller on Wince: “Malory is a great athlete who played all 17 games as a freshman last year. Her combination of strength and speed make her the perfect utility player, and her tenacity on defense earned her the team’s Defensive Player of the Year award. She was also the team’s third leading scorer last year, and her offense just keeps improving.”
Roller on Lilly Cornelison: “Lilly was thrust into a starting role as a freshman, but she proved herself up to the challenge. She was the second-leading rebounder (6.5), and the steady improvement in all aspects of her game make her a huge team asset – especially with all the varsity game experience.”
Roller on Griffin: “Injuries kept Ruby out of all but six games last year, but look for her to be a huge impact on this year’s squad now that she is back to full strength. Her speed and tenacity on defense is always a plus, but over the summer her offensive improvement is making her a well-rounded player.”
Dadeville has an experienced top seven players, which will limit opportunities for newcomers. Freshmen Eden Black (guard), Khloe Kelly (post) and Morgan Miller (post) are three freshmen who will look to carve out a varsity role as the season progresses.
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“We hope to establish ourselves as a team that can play up-tempo on both sides of the ball – something we could never achieve last year without a bench,” Roller said. “Of the 17 games we were able to play, only two quarters had even one substitute on the bench. Several games were finished with four or less players.”
Dadeville will travel to Seymour on Nov. 15 for a jamboree. The Lady Bearcats will open the regular season on Nov. 19 at Lockwood.
“I would expect the team to be very competitive in both conference and district, fighting for a spot among the leaders in both,” Roller said.
