Girls basketball: Scouting Maine West

Posted November 18, 2013 12:44 am

By John Leusch

Maine West

Coach: Derril Kipp (33rd season)

Last year’s record: 15-17, 7-3

Graduated players: Bridget Burger, Georgia Petersen, Samantha Whalen, Lexi Prosperi, Ashley Collins

Returning players: Brittany Collins (6-0 Sr. F), Julia Huinker (6-3 Sr. C), Kelly Adamek (5-6 Sr. F), Abbey Herling (5-7 Sr. G), Paulina Kulikowska (5-6 Sr. G), Erin Ross (5-4 Sr. G)

Newcomers: Kayla Pojalweski (5-7 So. G), Monica Liwag (5-8 So. G), Megan Hennelly (5-6 Jr. G), Yessica Reyes (5-9 Jr. G), Briana Cortese (5-7 Jr. G), Michelle Fox (5-10 Jr. F), Kati Roycroft (5-7 Jr. G)

Outlook: Hall of fame coach Derril Kipp sends his Warriors out for a crack at a 26th conference championship in his 33 years. They will go after it with one of the school’s most prolific scorers. The 6-foot-2 Brittany Collins has scored 1,395 points, second only to Megan Edwards (1,648) in school history. She is also one of the all-time West leaders in rebounds with 906. Collins and Ross are the Warriors’ only two returning starters. The 6-foot-3 Huinker saw some starting time a year ago. Huinker and Collins are the tallest posts Kipp has had on the same team. “We’ve got to get the ball inside,” Kipp said. “Brittany is on track to set a school scoring record. She’s stronger and has improved her outside game even more. She is probably going to break the school record for total rebounds, too.” Huinker averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds as a junior. “Julia has gotten stronger,” Kipp said. “She is catching the ball better. We just need her to finish and give us an inside presence .” Ross will probably be the starting point guard. “She does a great job at not turning the ball over, so that’s a positive,” Kipp said. “We’ll be as good as good as we pass the ball. The last few years we haven’t gotten the ball inside as well as we should so that’s our biggest concern.” Kipp said the Warriors will be looking for more assists this winter. “When we’ve had good teams, we’ve had a lot of assists,” said Kipp, who starts the season with 752 wins.

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