Uniontown girls preview: Lady Raiders hope chemistry equals success
Penny Kezmarsky is hoping chemistry produces positive results as she enters her seventh season as Uniontown girls basketball coach.
“We have a good core group returning,” Kezmarsky said. “We have a nice group of seniors and juniors that have been playing now together for three or four years. They have a good chemistry on and off the floor.”
That group includes seniors A’Kira Dade and Geelece Ingram and juniors Emily Myers and M’Kinli Baker. Sophomore Lyric McLee rounds out the starting five.
“A’Kira Dade and Geelece Ingram will share the job as point guard,” Kezmarsky said. “Either one of them can run the offense. They’re pretty interchangeable when they’re out on the floor together which they will be. A’Kira is super fast and she plays great on the defensive end.”
Myers gives the Lady Raiders some height and a presence in the paint.
“She’s really coming into her own,” Kezmarsky said. “She’s a good rebounder and can clean up the shots around the rim for us. She’s really worked on her post moves and her post game is coming on.”
Baker and McLee are guard/forwards.
“Lyric is so athletic, great speed, great on defense,” Kezmarsky said.
Uniontown’s top two players off the bench are senior Haley Abbott and sophomore Khloey Wakefield.
“Haley’s been with the team four years now will be a sub for the guard position,” Kezmarsky said. “Khloey is strong inside. She’ll be able to give Emily some relief here and there. She’s going to be a very good forward.”
Kezmarsky’s teams have always been known for their gritty defense but she hopes for a bit more offensive production to complement that this season.
“I think we’ve got a group that can eventually get it going on the offensive end,” she said. “This could be the year we play on both ends of the floor where we’re not solely relying on scoring off of defense.”
The Lady Raiders are again in Section 3-AAAA along with Elizabeth Forward, Belle Vernon, West Mifflin, Laurel Highlands, Ringgold and Southmoreland. Uniontown finished fifth in the section last season.
“I think we can find ourselves somewhere in there, giving them all a game,” Kezmarsky said.
Uniontown opened its season going 1-1 at Brownsville’s Falcon Fest, falling to Chartiers-Houston and defeating Bentworth, before dropping a 42-37 battle at Class AAAAA Connellsville.
The Lady Raiders will be shifted up from Class AAAA to Class AAAAA next season.
“The first four years I was here we were 5A and it was tough,” Kezmarsky said. “Being at the bottom of the count for 5A, playing against teams with a lot more girls to pull from, it makes it difficult. Between 5A and 4A, in my opinion, is a big difference. It will also depend on where they put us.
“But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I do have a good junior high group right now. We’ve just got to put in more work and get after it.”