Lady Warriors return four starters
A year ago, the Elizabeth-Forward girls basketball team lost to Belle Vernon at home on the last night of the regular season to force a three-way tie between the two teams and West Mifflin.
Unfortunately for the Lady Warriors, they lost out on the playoff spot to Belle Vernon because of tiebreakers, and being so close has resonated with them for nine months.
However, EF returns four starters from last year’s team and third-year head coach Krystal Gibbs is ready to get the season rolling.
“We will approach the season one game and one opponent at a time,” she said. “We will be successful if the players give the effort needed and buy into the roles the team needs them to fill.”
The four returning starters are junior point guard Lexi Korenoski (8 points, 7 assists per game), senior guard/forward Sierra Dawson (8 ppg, 4 rpg), junior forward Brianna Mikus (4 ppg, 6 rpg) and sophomore Julia Jenkins (5 ppg, 4 assists per game).
Sophomore guard/forward Brianna Sprinak is the frontrunner right now for the fifth starting spot, while two other sophomores, Juria Flournoy and Hayley Briggs, will also see a lot of time.
Briggs looks at Korenoski as a leader.
“She is in her second year as a captain and starting point guard,” Gibbs said. “She is an extension of the coaching staff on the floor.”
Gibbs shared her goals for the team this season.
“I want to compete for the section title,” she said, adding, “And, a playoff spot.”
Elizabeth-Forward is in Section 3-AAAA with Belle Vernon Area, Derry, Keystone Oaks, Mount Pleasant, South Park, Southmoreland, and Yough.
“Most of the section is new to us so we have no expectations on the favorites,” Gibbs said. “To challenge for the section title and a playoff spot, we have to have maximum effort on both sides of the floor every minute of every game.”
What else does Elizaeth Forward have to do to reach those two goals?
“We have to play to our strengths and abilities,” Gibbs said. “We have the talent to be a good team and the players have to give 100 percent effort whenever they are on the court.”
The Lady Warriors open the season in the Peters Township Tip-Off Tournament.