2016-17 basketball preview: Hurley Girls

hurley-girls-samantha-hall

By Nolan Epstein (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

If you take a look at this season’s Hurley girls basketball squad, you won’t see too many similarities in comparison to one year ago.

Aside from graduating four starters from last year’s team, the Lady Tigers see the departure of former head coach Vicki Spivy and welcome in Melissa Dhondt, who spent last season as the boys head coach at Chadwick and the previous year as a Marion C. Early assistant coach.

To make matters even more interesting, Dhondt won’t exactly have a lot to work with in terms of depth as a relatively short bench could prove to be a trouble spot late in games.

“We are looking at about eight girls, maybe less,” Dhondt said in reference to her varsity roster. “That is going to be the biggest hurdle to overcome aside from replacing four of last year’s starters.”

Last year’s club, which finished with an overall record of 18-10 and advanced to their district title game before falling to Bradleyville, was led by standouts Zava Bennett, Taylor Cattanach and Katie Winfree. Bennett and Cattanach were both first team all-confernce while Winfree earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

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All three have moved on – leaving the Lady Tigers in a rebuilding mode of sorts.

Helping to try and keep Hurley relevant this season will be Lexie Winfree (4 PPG), Katie’s sister. As a senior, Winfree will take on the role as the team leader and help guide underclassmen on the roster.

[Winfree] is vocal and has good court I.Q.,” Dhondt said. “Lexie plays with everything she has. She will be a great asset to help fill the void left by last year’s seniors.”

The Lady Tigers also bring back starting sophomore Samantha Hall, who averaged about 5 PPG in the 2015-16 campaign as a freshman and will be one of the most physical players on the court throughout the year.

“She is quick on her feet and reads the floor well,” Dhondt said of Hall. “She will be a great all-around player. She’s not very big, but she’s definitely not afraid to bump around down low.”

Fellow sophomore Paige Simpson will be Hurley’s floor general – using her quickness and basketball intelligence to run the point, while acting as a legitimate shooting weapon from beyond the arc.

The Lady Tigers may not boast a lot of depth or experience, but what they lack in those departments just might be made up for with camaraderie and chemistry.

“We are a young, scrappy team with a lot of heart,” said Dhondt. “This group of girls has played together for a long time, they have good energy on the floor and are willing to play with everything they have. I’m excited to see how they come together this season and settle into their new roles.”

Once again going through the Mark Twain Conference gauntlet, Dhondt’s team is hungry to prove they’re here to win.

“I expect us to be a well-rounded, competitive team this season,” added Dhondt. “Once we settle into our roles and get the jitters out, I really expect some exciting basketball to come out of this season.”

Hurley begins the season on Nov. 21 at Spokane.

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