By Chris Parker
Sparta girls basketball will be led by one of the area’s top underclassmen in Shelby McMurry. McMurry led the team in scoring as a freshman at 16.9 points per game earning first-team all-conference honors. She also contributed 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3 assists per game.
“She (McMurry) is very fast with the ball in her hand, and is very good in transition. Shelby is also a really good defender and overall playmaker on both ends,” said Sparta head coach Josh Loveland said.
Senior Alyssa Diers was a second-team all-conference selection as a junior and the second-leading scorer for Sparta at 9.9 points per game. She will be a four-year starter for Sparta.
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“She will bring experience, and range to our team. Alyssa can really shoot the ball well, and we expect her to have a good senior year,” Loveland said.
Kaylee Case, Aysha Fulton and Lauren Bilyeiu are three sophomores who will look to expand on strong freshmen seasons. Sierra Schneider is a senior post player that is strong around the basket.
Loveland has a strong incoming class of six freshmen that will push for playing time. That group includes: Laney Humble, Megan Brown, Natalie Wilks, Brynn Holt, Ashley Roller and Brooklyn Roller.
Humble brings shooting and ball-handling to the table for Sparta. Brown is a versatile player that can step out to the perimeter or play down low. Wilks stands at 5-foot-10 and is a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches. Holt is a strong defender. The Roller twins are both strong defenders and spot-up shooters.
This group’s defensive ability will be a strength according to Loveland.
“Our biggest strength this year is going to be our defense,” Loveland said. “We are going to work hard and get after people and force teams to make plays. Offensively, we are going to be a good passing team, which can shoot it a little. We are going to get up and down the court at a fast pace. We are going to be a fun team to watch play.”
Sparta will be a young team, but that isn’t lowering the expectations at all.
“We are going to be very young this year, but we are going to be very talented and our expectations for ourselves are pretty high,” Loveland said. “We want to compete with Blue Eye and Crane for a conference championship, and we are hoping to compete for a shot at the district championship game.”
Sparta opens the season on Nov. 25 at home against Reeds Spring.
