2010-11 Basketball: GHS girls greet new season with competitive fight for starting spots

Coach Rick Lin enters his 19th season at the helm of the Lady Bulldog basketball program and for the first time finds himself having to replace all five starters to begin a season. That lack of experience is the reason the Lady Bulldogs find themselves in the #6 seeded position in the 34th Annual Gallatin Invitational.

Coach Rick Lin enters his 19th season at the helm of the Lady Bulldog basketball program and for the first time finds himself having to replace all five starters to begin a season. That lack of experience is the reason the Lady Bulldogs find themselves in the #6 seeded position in the 34th Annual Gallatin Invitational.

“Basically, we’re starting all over in full rebuilding mode,” said Coach Lin. “We won’t be able to do as many things as we have done in the past during the early part of the season, and people will see that,” he advised. “We’re going to cut back on the number of offensive and defensive schemes. With our inexperience and youth, I don’t want to throw too many things at them at once, so things are going to be simpler at the beginning,” he added.

Prior to this season, Coach Lin has been able to tweak his lineup by adding two or three players each year to fill the gaps but a high graduation rate over the last two seasons has led to the current situation. “The success of this team will be measured on a game-by-game basis,” he hinted.

“I don’t know how many games we will win,” he said. “We don’t have a specific number we’re shooting for. We will measure our success on how much we improve in the regular season and how competitive we are at district time,” he added.

Gallatin’s girls could have a real shot at advancing deep into the district tournament, which this year features teams from Albany, DeKalb, Gallatin, Maysville, Polo, Rock Port and Tarkio. “I’d like to think we will be competitive when the time comes,” Coach Lin stated.

If there’s one player who brings more experience to this year’s team than any other, it’s junior Tory Wood. However, to illustrate how green this year’s Lady Bulldog team will be, Wood is the only returnee who attempted more than 25 shots a season ago. She was the third-leading rebounder on last year’s squad, as well.
“We’d like her to step up and be a scoring and rebounding leader,” Coach Lin stated. “She will play in the post, but can go out to 15 feet as one of our better outside shooters,” he added.

Two seniors, Becca Mott and Cali Welch, saw limited playing time a year ago. Mott’s strengths are quickness and defensive ability as she battles for a guard spot. Welch is fighting for a forward spot and looks to be another top rebounder and post defender.

Junior Ashley Burns is looking like one of the Lady Bulldogs’ floor leaders, said Lin. She is battling for the starting point guard position. Becca Chadwick is one of the team’s better spot shooters but is battling an injury.
Sophomores Megan Beck and Celsie Baker are also in the hunt for starting positions. Beck, an undersized forward, plays bigger than her size. Baker, a guard, has a quick first step and is good at taking the ball to the basket, her coach said.

Sophomores Jade and Elena Steele are both hard workers and look to contribute at the junior varsity level with Jade at small forward and Elena at guard.

A number of freshmen are competing for playing time and will figure strongly in the mix as the season progresses.
Kaitlyn Hefley is an aggressive player who can make good things happen defensively by anticipating the action. Morgan Horvatin is one of the team’s best athletes and will use her talents inside at forward. Kailey Elbert is pushing for playing time at a forward spot.

Guards Kaitlyn McNeely and Bailey Morrison are both quick and explosive players. Molly Mott is a versatile player who will play both inside and outside as needed. The Lady Bulldogs have spent much of their time prior to their opener improving on fundamentals.

“We’re building our defense to get it as strong as we can as fast as we can,” Coach Lin advised. “We’re also working on offensive fundamentals, knowing they are going to take more time to develop,” he added. “We will rely on our defense in the early going before we can determine how we will score.”

Lin says he is seeing improvement on a day-to-day basis, particularly with the offense, as his untested charges absorb the system.

"Two things stand out,” he said. “Every player has worked extremely hard, and this group brings as good as or better an attitude than any team I’ve had so far,” he added. “They are coming in ready to work every practice.”

Coach Lin tabs Hamilton as the over-whelming favorite to win a second consecutive GIT title. The Lady Hornets have taken the top prize in six of the last eight Gallatin Invitationals.

“I think, though, that Maysville and Trenton are going to be tough teams,” he added. “Mays-ville may be bigger and faster than last year. Trenton has a lot of experience back.”

The girls tournament is diminished by the loss of South Harrison, which dropped out to play in another tourney. South Harrison was a GIT participant since 1983, when Bulldog teams took the place of Ridgeway squads.

South Harrison is the defending GRC champ but will get a strong challenge from a battle-tested Hamilton squad. Hamilton took two of three from South Harrison last season but lost the conference title game by five points. Each team returns four starters from a year ago.