Page 4 - TL Basketball Preview Oct 2016

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2016 | TRI-LAKES EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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BENTON LADY PANTHERS
Lady Panthers lack experience, have depth
BY SAM PIERCE
STAFF WRITER
The Benton Lady Panthers lost three starters, including two all-state players, before the season even started last year as a result of ACL tears.
“And our 6-3 post player, who signed with Arkansas Tech, quit,” Benton head coach Jerry Chumley said. “So four games into the season, we had four starters out.
“We were just in disarray. We played hor- rible basketball until January and were able to finish third in the league.”
The Lady Panthers started 2-9 but finished the year 11-17 overall and 8-6 in the 6A-South Conference.
“We went from looking like you are going to be one of the better teams in the 6A, and now you are scrounging around trying to figure out if you can win a game.”
Only two returning players, senior Lenzie Newman and junior Italei Gray, have any high school experience.
“Lenzie started about every game last year and averaged about six points a game,” Chumley said. “She was probably one of the better 3-point shooters in the league last year.
“That’s her forte, knocking down the three ball.”
Gray averaged five points a game, and Chumley said she could possibly be an all-stater this season.
“She has really developed this summer,” Chumley said. “She’s 5-6, but she plays much bigger than that, and she can handle the ball.”
Because the Lady Panthers were so de- pleted, they only averaged about 30 points per game last year.
“Lenzie and Italei are the only two we have back that have any kind of experience,” Chumley said. “The rest are sophomores and a freshman who will start.”
Benton has nine sophomores listed, and about seven of those could possibly start, Chumley said.
“Makenzy Davidson and Katie Morrow will start,” Chumley said. “Junior Anna Davis was one of those who tore her ACL last year, but she had her surgery and did her rehab.
“She will be back from last year and start this season. She would have started last year if it wasn’t for her injury.”
Benton’s lone true post player is 6-0 sophomore Tamia Halk. Freshman Isabella Arnold is expected to start as well.
“We are young,” Chumley said. “We have one senior, three juniors, and the rest are sophomores.
“We are very young, but that can be a pos- itive. I look at that as a positive because they don’t have all the other junk going on.
“They aren’t driving, not working — they are just in the gym.”
On the flip side of it, Benton is young, so there are just a lot of unknowns.
“We don’t know how they are going to respond to the high school,” Chumley said.
Chumley said they may be young, but he knows his team will be very competitive.
“This group will compete; they will get after it,” Chumley said. “It is probably one of the greener teams I’ve had, so we will be able to press more than we usually do.
“We will probably be one of the better defensive teams that I’ve had.”
Offensively, the Lady Panthers lack expe- rience, and Chumley said he doesn’t know who is going to be his top threat.
SAM PIERCE/TRI-LAKES EDITION
Benton’s Emma Postema looks to pass to a teammate during practice.
“We don’t know who is going to be our go-to,” Chumley said. “We are working on that right now.
“Shooting the ball is going to be a weak- ness. We normally have two or three kids that can knock down a deep shot.
“This year, we will have to rely on our defense for a while in the transition.”
Chumley said a positive this year will also be the team’s versatility.
“That top seven that I named, they can play just about every position,” Chumley said. “We are very versatile, and I can move them around. Even Halk can play step out and play point guard.
“I have the ability to move kids around and find the perfect fit.”
Another weakness for Benton this season will be its size.
“I know this summer when we played the
BENTON GIRLS continued on 5TT