Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week: Beaver Bobcats

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, December 16, 2018 | 7:24 PM

For years, TribLive has honored a Player of the Week in girls basketball, and that tradition continues this winter.

However, it is a team sport. So this winter, the TribLive High School Sports Network is saluting a team of the week, as well.

The first Team of the Week for the week of Dec. 10 is the Beaver Bobcats.

Already 2-0 after opening weekend, Beaver picked up a couple of impressive wins with victories over Class 2A power Vincentian Academy, 47-41, on Monday and then knocked off Neshannock, 47-46, Thursday in a Section 1-3A opener.

“We are a young team in transition, so we’re kind of learning on the fly,” Beaver coach Greg Huston said. “I’ve been happy with our ability to play different styles and different defenses early on, and we’ve forced a good number of turnovers as a result.

“We’ve also done a nice job of maintaining our composure in some tough situations, which is a testament to our team leaders. If we can continue to grow, really on both ends of the court, hopefully we can keep it rolling in the right direction.”

As Huston begins his 10th season at Beaver, change is in the air. Not only are there a lot of new faces with only one senior and no juniors on the team, but the Bobcats have dropped from Class 4A to 3A this season.

“I don’t think it means a whole lot to us on a daily basis other than that we are facing different teams,” Huston said. “Certainly our old section was tough, and this one presents many of the same challenges because there are some really good programs and teams in 3A-1.”

A year ago, Bella Posset helped lead Beaver to a 19-7 record that included a trip to the WPIAL Class 4A championship game. It was there at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center that the Bobcats suffered a buzzer-beating heartbreaking loss to North Catholic, 50-49.

Does that loss offer any motivation to this year’s Bobcats team?

“I think it would be if our three seniors from last year were still here, but this is just a totally different team now,” Huston said. “That game last year serves us more now just as a reminder of what it takes, both on and off the court, to be successful.

“Certainly, I’d like for us to get back there at some point and actually win it, but these girls are in the process of writing their own story, and I’m happy to be a part of wherever this journey takes us.”

Don Rebel is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Don at drebel@tribweb.com or via Twitter @TheDonRebel.

Tags: Beaver