Beth-Center girls planning to return to playoffs
After missing a playoff berth last year following a four-year run in the WPIAL postseason tournament, Beth-Center girls basketball coach Steve Beyer succinctly assessed his Lady Bulldogs’ playoff chances this season.
“We expect to (make the playoffs),” he said. “It was disappointing for last year’s seniors. That was the first time they were not in the playoffs. We set high expectations and the girls have been working hard to get back to the post-season.”
With nine letterwinners returning, including last year’s leading scorer, plus a solid bench and promising freshmen, the WPIAL might just save some time and pencil in the Lady Bulldogs now.
All was not lost, however, in missing a playoff spot last season. After Beth-Center lost five seniors from a team that went undefeated in section play (in 2010), the 2010-2011 season turned into a rebuilding year as the Lady Bulldogs went 8-13, 3-9, enabling the underclassmen to gain valuable varsity experience.
Leading the way is point guard, four-year starter, and last year’s leading scorer, Anna Shashura, who is 160 points from the 1,000-point plateau. A second-team all-section selection, Shashura “is our best outside shooter, with three-point range,” Beyer said. “Besides being a shooter, she handles the ball well, directs our offense and has strong leadership skills.”
Last year, Shashura, who averaged 16 points, tied a school single-game record with six 3-pointers in one game.
Providing inside balance is 5-8 forward Rachel Sabatini, who averaged eight points and five rebounds per contest.
“Rachel gets good inside position and is strong inside offensively,” Beyer added, “plus she can step outside to give us another shooter.”
After averaging eight rebounds per game a year ago, junior 5-11 forward Kendall Koterba “is coming into her own as a player,” Beyer said. “She worked hard in the off-season and has taken her game to the next level. Her offense has improved and we expect her to be a force underneath.”
Included among 10 players Beyer expects to see playing time are freshmen Anna Bartman (5-6 guard) and Lyndsey Huhn (5-11 forward).
“Anna is developing into one of our best shooters and can handle the ball with either hand, to give us depth at guard,” Beyer noted. “Lyndsey is quick and has a strong inside game. She is one of our faster girls and we are looking for her to make a contribution.”
Both girls improved their game last summer by playing AAU basketball.
Missing from the lineup, at least until the end of January, will be Hailey Huhn, who tore an ACL during soccer season. “We’re looking for Hailey to get back on the floor (in time for the playoffs),” Beyer said.
“We appear solid,” Beyer added.
“We have some seniors who have been starters and a good group of underclassmen, including several freshmen, which will give us a nice bench. We have only one girl returning who averaged double figures (Shashura), so we have to pick up our scoring.”
When B-C copped the section crown two years ago, the Lady Bulldogs permitted only 34 points per game. That figure, however, jumped to 44 last year and Beyer is hoping to hold opponents to around 36 this year.
“It’s going to take a total team effort,” Beyer added. “We have to get rebounds on both ends of the floor and we need a lot of put-backs for points on offense.”
Beth-Center opens exhibition play against California in the Jefferson-Morgan Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 9-10. (Waynesburg Central rounds out the four-team field). Charleroi will visit Beth-Center Dec. 15 in the section opener.