Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week for Feb. 4, 2024

By: Don Rebel
Sunday, February 4, 2024 | 5:15 PM

Trib HSSN girls basketball player of the week: Emma Larkin

School: Geibel Catholic

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5-foot-6

Position: Guard

What coach says: “Emma stepped up to rebound for us in those three games,” Geibel Catholic coach and Emma’s mom Sara Larkin said. “She had 16 against Mapletown, 9 against Mt. Pleasant and 11 against West Greene. She’s able to play anywhere on the floor to give us the edge. She got all of her teammates involved and made it much harder for the opposition to guard us, averaging 6 assists. The points are easy for everyone to see, but she works hard to fill the stat sheets in all categories. It was three well-rounded performances this week.

“She loves basketball and uses that drive and motivation to always want to do better and make those around her better. She’s become a much more vocal leader this year and manages the game well on both ends of the floor. Her outside shooting continues to improve. She slashes to the basket and shoots a lot of free throws, but she really wanted to improve her shot beyond the arc. I can see her confidence and the team’s confidence growing with every game we play. I am so proud of this team.

“Emma has been around the game for many years and has also seen it from a different perspective than most players. As a coach’s kid, she learned how to scout teams and break down film, so she’s my eyes and she has the ability to really challenge her and the team. They trust each other and it shows on and off the court. I attribute that to her inclusive nature when it comes to the team and the game she loves so much.”

#Earned: The WPIAL’s second-leading scorer enjoyed another big week as Geibel Catholic secured second place in Section 2-A. On Monday, Larkin pumped in 23 points as the Gators won at home over West Greene, 49-44, to move two games ahead of the Pioneers in the battle for second behind Monessen. The next night, Larkin scored 21 points in a nonsection loss to Class 3A playoff-bound Mt. Pleasant. The week ended Thursday with Larkin scoring 21 points in a victory at fourth place Mapletown, 43-27.

Background: Larkin finished as the third-leading scorer in the WPIAL in 2023, scoring 509 points and averaging 23.1 points per game in her freshman season. She eclipsed 1,000 points for her career two weeks ago as she closes in on 600 points this season. She is second in the district, averaging 32 points per game. Larkin is an avid and successful runner. She is on the Gators cross country team in the fall and runs track in the spring. She also plays softball at Geibel.

2024 Trib HSSN Girls Basketball Players of the Week

Week 4 – Shaye Bailey, Freedom

Week 3 – London Creach, Oakland Catholic

Week 2 – Mallory Daly, Seton LaSalle

Week 1 – Iyanna Wade, Clairton

Tags: Geibel