With 4 starters back, Deer Lakes girls basketball expects more

By: HSSN Staff
Friday, November 24, 2017 | 7:30 PM

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The Deer Lakes girls basketball team enters this season with lofty expectations.

The Lancers made the playoffs last year, but a first-round exit to Beaver has coach Dave Petruska wanting more. It's easy to see why Petruska expects a step forward. The team finished last year 9-13 overall and 7-5 in Section 1-4A.

“Honestly, I have set expectations, and I set them pretty high,” Petruska said. “We returned a lot of our offense. I'm looking to improve on offense, move forward with the success of our team and be constantly competitive and make the playoffs. I want to be a team that moves forward to the playoffs and is competitive and doesn't exit quickly.”

Deer Lakes returns four starters and sports a roster with nine upperclassmen.

“We are trying to set ourselves up by running sets to get ourselves a chance at an open shot or an open easy shot,” Petruska said. “We're looking to control the tempo of the game.”

Offensively, the Lancers will be led by junior point guard Anna Solomon. She averaged 12 points and four assists as a sophomore. Petruska said the offense will go as Solomon goes.

“She's a dynamite ball-handler, but she's able to create offense for herself,” Petruska said. “She is able to make moves to throw players off-balance and create space. She can create things for herself when the offense isn't looking good.”

As far as shouldering the load offensively, Solomon is up to the task.

“I'm always trying to improve every year,” Solomon said. “I think everyone on the team gets better. Overall, we're just looking to go further than before and work our way toward success. I'm always trying to perform the best I can and do everything I can do for my team. I've got a lot of great girls surrounding me, and I think there's going to be a lot of young talent and experience that step up this year.”

Joining Solomon in the backcourt will be junior guards Abby Buechel and Julia Hollibaugh.

Petruska expects Buechel to add scoring punch.

“She is always in the gym and working,” Petruska said. “She is constantly working on different moves and creative ways to get to the basket. … She is becoming more confident as she ages and grows.”

Defensively, Hollibaugh leads the charge. Petruska said she can guard bigger players when needed and the smaller, quicker ones. Other players expected to be major contributors defensively are senior guards Marie Schmitzer and Eva Sipko and junior guard Victoria Keibler.

Schmitzer and Sipko, who did not play last season, could be the first players off the bench to help change the tempo of the game.

Petruska believes having more confidence in his defense will allow the offense to do more things.

The Lancers open the season Dec. 8 at the Armstrong tip-off tournament.

D.J. Vasil is a freelance writer.

Tags: Deer Lakes