EAHS girls basketball preview

Head Coach: Mike Pericci, third year.

2006-2007 Record: 8-15 overall, 5-11 league.

Key Returners: Jen Dunkelberger, senior, G; Becca Bigler, junior, F.
Dunkelberger and Bigler are the only two returning varsity letter-winners from last year’s team. While the team didn’t play particularly well last year, they did two years ago – when the Bears made the state tournament. That means that E-town’s two captains know what it’s like to win at the varsity level, and that experience could go a long way when it comes to mentoring E-town’s roster full of underclassmen.
Dunkelberger is a steady guard, who gives E-town a perimeter shooting threat and is capable of scoring in double digits on any given night. Her senior leadership will be invaluable to Pericci’s team this year.
Bigler is probably the team’s most complete player. She can handle running point, as well as score in the low post. She plays extremely physically, which not only will set a great example for the younger players, but will help her get to more loose balls and get to the free throw line a ton.

Key Newcomers: The rest of the roster.
Out of the team’s 16 players, 14 are new this year and 10 of them are freshman – an extraordinary amount for any varsity team to have. Pericci said he didn’t want to single out any particular player as a key newcomer because he is expecting good things out of all of them.
“All of the girls have shown signs of greatness,” he said. The girls are hungry to prove they can play at the varsity level, but it’s going to take time for them to adjust to the speed and tempo of the game.”
That will be no small feat for the younger girls, and it will take them some time to get there. Hopefully for the Bears, they can figure it out before the midway point of the season.

Key Losses: Liz Bard, graduation; Megan Neidig, graduation; Jamie Ahern, injury.
For the second straight year, the Bears will feel the sting of graduation. The biggest loss the team will feel is that of Bard, their starting point guard, leading scorer and overall team leader. She was the heart and soul of the team last year and will be nearly impossible to replace.
“(Bard) was our best player last season and arguably the best player in Section Two,” Pericci said. “We will miss her in so many ways this season. She was a great scorer, but more importantly, she was a great example for the younger girls to follow.”
Neidig was the team’s second leading scorer and their best player inside. Her rebounding and inside scoring ability will be missed.
According to Pericci, Ahern was competing for the starting point guard position, but is lost for the season with a foot injury.

How they’ve fared so far this year: 0-3
The Bears have gotten out to a slow start out of the gate, but have showed signs of improvement. After dropping two games at the Columbia Tip Off Tournament to open the season, E-town had a lead at halftime against Donegal on Tuesday night. The Indians were too much in the second half, though, outlasting the Bears thanks to a 19-point fourth quarter.

What they do well: Work hard, run the court.
The Bears are young, extremely young, but they will work hard and run up and down quickly for all four quarters. Pericci said he will have the team play a little more of an uptempo style this season because of the athleticism on the roster. Most of the players on the team play other sports, so they are naturally gifted athletically.
But what will help the Bears most throughout the season is their willingness to learn and their work ethic. To be able to compete with the teams on their schedule – most of which are filled with experienced varsity players – they need to work harder than anyone and also constantly soak in the knowledge of what it takes to win at this level.
“These girls are like sponges,” Pericci said. “All they want to do is learn and get better. They make my job as a coach a pleasurable one. Knowing how willing they are to learn makes me want to be a better coach and it makes me work that much harder for them.”

What they need to work on: Playing above their heads, adjusting to the varsity game.
Playing above their heads means dealing with the team’s lack of height. The Bears’ tallest player is 5’8” and the rest of them are 5’5” or smaller. Since they lack height, it’s even more important for them to get to as many loose balls as possible.
But inexperience will be the biggest bump in the road for E-town this season. With only one senior and two juniors, the success of the Bears this year will hinge on how quickly the 13 underclassmen adjust to the speed of the varsity game. While most of the section will be looking at E-town as having a rebuilding year, Pericci will have none of that.
“We just might be the youngest team in America,” he said. “We are an extremely young team, but I don’t want the girls to use that as a crutch. I believe in this team, but I need to convince the girls to believe in themselves.”

Outlook:
It’s easy to say that this will be a rebuilding season for the Bears. With just two experienced players returning, writing them off is something that their head coach won’t do. Pericci is an excellent motivator and he will have this team playing with a lot of energy. Teams like E-town, who play as if they have nothing to lose night in and night out are extremely dangerous – regardless of their level of experience.
“The so-called experts have deemed this a rebuilding year, so I want the girls to use that lack of respect as motivation,” said Pericci. “We are going to be the underdogs in virtually every game, but that’s exactly the way I want it. The pressure isn’t going to be on us, so the girls are going to be able to play loose.”
In basketball, perhaps as much or more than most other sports, playing relaxed and not being afraid to make a mistake is a blessing in disguise. Sure, E-town will be handed a few losses this year and likely won’t be playing in the postseason. But this year will be an immensely important building block for the years to come for the program. The Bears aren’t making excuses, though, for their lack of experience and they still expect to be a competitive team.
“I have high expectations for this year’s team. As is the case with every team, I expect these girls to work hard each day, both individually and as a team,” Pericci said. “I firmly believe these girls are going to surprise a lot of people.”