Kokomo’s women basketball workforce had an uneven 2022-23 season. The Girl Kats gained 5 straight to achieve 6-2, however then misplaced 9 of their subsequent 10 video games. They rebounded to shut the common season on a 4-1 run and gained their sectional opener earlier than falling within the semifinal spherical to complete with a 12-13 ultimate report.
With the majority of the roster again, the Kats are searching for constant play in 2023-24 that can construct on their robust end final season.
“We glance a bit of older,” fourth-year coach Haley Peckinpaugh stated. “We’ve six seniors and three juniors that play varsity so we’re outdated and mature. Final 12 months, we had been fairly younger after graduating some individuals from the 12 months earlier than. This 12 months we’re trying ahead to rising as a workforce and having the ability to play off of one another. That’s appeared good within the preseason to this point.”
Kokomo opens tonight at Blackford.
The Kats return 4 starters together with two KT All-Space gamers in 6-foot senior ahead Aijia Elliott and 5-5 junior guard Ma’Kaela Drake. Elliott was a first-team choice and Drake was a third-team decide.
Elliott averaged workforce highs of 14.2 factors and eight.8 rebounds per sport and shot a team-best 55% from the sector final season. For her profession, the three-time All-North Central Convention participant and two-time All-Space participant has 762 factors and 500 rebounds.
“Offensively, we need to use Aijia as a lot as potential,” Peckinpaugh stated. “If anybody sees her play this 12 months, she appears to be like loads completely different. She’s gotten stronger. She labored actually laborious within the offseason. She will be able to shoot it so she may play the wing and clearly we’ll look to her within the excessive put up.”
Drake was second on the workforce in scoring at 10.4 factors final season. She made a team-high 30 3-pointers.
The Kats’ different returning starters are 5-5 senior level guard Kamaria White and 5-7 junior ahead Regan McClain. Final season, White averaged 6.0 factors, a team-high 3.6 assists and a team-high 2.4 steals in her third 12 months as a starter whereas McClain provided 4.2 factors and 6.4 rebounds.
Aviannah Pollard, a 5-7 junior guard, rounds out the beginning lineup. She averaged 3.1 factors final season.
The bench choices embody 5-5 sophomore Amara Stroman, 5-6 senior guard Mia Castillo (2.2 factors, 2.3 rebounds), 5-4 freshman guard Satyra Scott, 5-7 senior ahead Maddie Carpenter, 5-6 senior guard Indiria Faison and 5-8 senior ahead Darriuna Kirby.
The Kats scored 45.5 factors per sport final season. They shot simply 38.3% from the sector total and 22.2% from 3-land.
“Our offense goes to run a bit of otherwise this 12 months,” Peckinpaugh stated. “We’re going to attempt to use our [full-court] protection to create for our offense, simply because our half-court offense hasn’t been nice the final couple years. We’re going to attempt to create some havoc on protection to actually get some transition offense. We’re excited to see what that appears like.”
Peckinpaugh pointed to White, Drake, McClain and Castillo as defensive weapons.
“We’ve some significantly fast women,” she stated.
Kokomo is hoping to problem within the NCC. The Kats took fourth place with a 6-3 report final season. Harrison gained with an 8-0 report, McCutcheon was second at 7-1 and Logansport was third at 7-2. Within the sectional, Kokomo avenged a loss to McCutcheon earlier than falling to eventual champion Harrison.
“Harrison graduated some seniors however they create again some good gamers which are upperclassmen. McCutcheon has among the best freshmen within the state [Lillie Graves]. She’s a 6-foot level guard,” Peckinpaugh stated.
Graves already holds a proposal from Purdue.
“So far as convention goes, I at all times suppose it’s winnable,” Peckinpaugh added. “I’m a really optimistic, optimistic individual. I believe these women have labored actually laborious within the offseason and I believe they deserve to present themselves an opportunity at convention and in sectional. Our non-conference schedule is decently troublesome, tougher than it has been previously, to attempt to get us prepared for sectional.”
