2018-19 Winter Preview: Bradleyville Girls Basketball

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Bradleyville had the best season in program history last year that ended with a state runner-up finish and a 26-6 overall record.

Last year’s success has altered expectations for the Lady Eagles this season.

“Last year was really unbelievable for us. The girls worked so hard each and every day to get to where we were. I couldn’t have been more proud of them,” Bradleyville coach Autumn Thomas said. “Our expectations and goals have definitely changed coming off such a great season. We want to get back to Springfield again this year.”

The returning group hit the offseason with a purpose after getting a shot at the state championship.

“We worked really hard this summer. We played in several shootouts and used our open gyms to get as many shots up as we could. Keeping a ball in their hands during the summer is very important to me. We have also worked hard in the weight room and they are conditioning every single day to get stronger and faster. They are just as hungry as I am to get back to where we were last season,” Thomas said.

One big piece the Lady Eagles will have to replace is graduated 2,000-point scorer Kourtney Shipley who also knocked down 297 3-point shots in her career.

The next four leading scorers return led by senior Gracie Shipley and junior Emily Williams.

Shipley averaged 14.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game last year. She was a sophomore last year, but has reclassified as a senior as she pursues and accelerated MBA program with a major in accounting and minor in statistics.

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“I expect Gracie to have a really good year, coming off averaging a double-double last season,” Thomas said. “She is a huge threat in the paint when it comes to scoring and rebounding.”

Williams scored 12.3 points per game while chipping in 6.4 rebounds per contest of her own last season. She knocked down 33 total three-pointers last season at a 35% clip.

“She is such a threat on the outside that she often seen the opponents best defender guarding her. Emily is not an easy person to guard because she can shoot so quickly or she also has the ability to take the ball to the basket,” Thomas said.

Shipley and Williams will combine for a potent inside-outside threat.

“I believe these two girls have the ability to both have outstanding seasons,” Thomas said. “Gracie will be a force to be reckoned with under the basket and Emily the same on the outside.”

Tay Sims will see an even bigger role this year after averaging 6.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a guard last year in her freshman season.

“Tay is such an all-around athlete. Basketball runs in her blood, as she comes from a family that all played ball and they were all very good at it,” Thomas said. “Tay will take over the point guard role for us this season, as a starter last season she got the opportunity to get a lot of playing time and experience in this role. She will be ready to go this season.”

Anna Turner will be a senior leader this season. She averaged 7 points per game last year.

“Anna will once again be one of our team captains this season. She will also be our vocal leader on the floor. She will take over the role that senior Dorian Hayes played for us last year. It will be some big shoes to fill because Dorian was really good at it. Anna will be a great leader. She is truly selfless. She does not care about her stats at all. The only thing that matters to her is team success. She is also one of our team’s best defenders. She is the one that gets us going when we are not playing well. Anna is a great motivator and a great teammate,” Thomas said.

Kate Turner, Maddie Shipley and Ericka Cook all return after seeing time on varsity last season. Junior Taylor McHaffie and senior Haley Glover are two upperclassmen who are coming out for the team.

A trip back to the Final Four is at the top of the list of goals for Bradleyville this season.

“Expectations are definitely running high around here,” Thomas said. “We are very hungry to get back to Springfield. We have worked really hard over the summer to fill Kourtney’s role as a point guard and in scoring and Dorian’s role as a strong present in the paint and our vocal team leader. The girls want to work hard and we are all very excited for the upcoming season. They all have to buy-in, so to speak, and want team success in order to reach our goals again this season. I know we have a very supportive community that is always behind us also and they are very excited as well.”

Bradleyville opens its season on Nov. 20 at Clever.

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