2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL: These cagers ruled the court in multiple ways

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

When it comes to girls basketball, there’s always plenty of storylines when referring to area teams. There’s no doubt the 2010-11 campaign was full of them.

With plenty of talent on several teams, there were five local squads that made it to at least the Sweet 16 (regional finals) and three more that played in a Final Four in various state tournaments.

Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, the newest school in the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area, followed up its Class D state championship in 2010 with its second state crown in 2011.

Troy Bethany Christian overcame a rebuilding campaign and played in its sixth straight Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state finals, although this time the Bruins finished as state runner-up. Rochester Hills Christian shattered multiple school records and reached the state semifinals in the MACS tourney.

Over in the MHSAA, the Class A regional finals featured two local squads, Auburn Hills Avondale and Clarkston, Avondale fell to eventual state runner-up Detroit Renaissance, while Clarkston fell to Midland.

The story behind Avondale is that they won only two games three years ago, while Clarkston tripled its win total from last year to this year.

Troy, Troy Athens and Rochester Stoney Creek all fielded some solid teams this year. Troy continued to climb the OAA Red Division ladder, while Athens and Stoney Creek both finished in the top half of that same league after sharing the OAA White Division title the previous season.

As for individuals, there was no shortage of talent on the aforementioned teams, and several other local schools. College scouts were often found in the stands and several area stars will have futures beyond the high school basketball ranks.

Fans can find those players on the All-Area Girls Basketball squad for 2010-11, which is made up of four teams of five players each, plus honorable mentions, and selected by NOS staff in conjunction with area coaches.

Below are brief player profiles of the players selected to the team:

FIRST TEAM

SINCLAIR RUSSELL, Troy Athens 6-1 jr. F/C: A starter since midway though her freshman campaign, Russell continued to elevate her game this season to earn All-OAA Red Division honors and All-County Second Team status. A force on the inside known to block and alter shots with regularity, Russell continued to polish her offensive game this season, finishing with 21.1 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9  blocks an outing, the latter a school record. Her 178 blocked shots this season also ranks fourth in state history. She already has offers from Oakland University and Central Michigan with many Division I schools still on the recruiting trail.

“Sinclair is a great player with a lot of potential,” said Athens coach Lindsay Noble. “She has a very quick first step and is a shot-blocking machine. She has been a starter the past three years for Athens and has been a tremendous player for our program.”

LAUREN ROBAK, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 5-9 sr. SG: The all-time leading scorer in school history at over 1,900 career points (1,955), Robak led the Lakers to back-to-back Class D state championships. The Oakland University recruit finishes in the top 10 in dozens of single-game, season and career records categories for the school and wound up on the All-State First Team Class D on numerous publications the past two years. She is also a two-time All-County Dream Team honoree. Robak averaged 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.9 steals an outing for the 22-5 Lakers.

GABBY YURIK, Rochester Stoney Creek 5-7 jr. G: Also a three-time all-state golfer who placed third at the Division 1 state finals last October, Yurik is also an accomplished basketball player who has set or is close to setting multiple school records for the Cougars. The two-time All-OAA Red Division and All-County Dream Team selection poured in 20.0 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds a contest. She scored 42 in a contest against Troy Athens, is third on the career scoring list with more than 1,000 points and one season to go and has had multiple games where she has scored over 20 points.

“Gabby is the ultimate competitor,” said coach Brad Crighton. “She’s the type of player that wants the ball in her hands, especially in a close game. She does not like to lose. She’s a great athlete, a great golfer, too. But I think if the situation is right, she could play college basketball as well. She can go anywhere with golf.”

HANNAH LITTLE, Auburn Hills Avondale 6-0 jr. F: Little blossomed into her own this season in her second year as a starter and earned All-OAA White Division honors. Known for her fine touch and spin moves in the paint, Little finished with 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.3 assists and 2.1 blocks a game. She provided plenty of damage in big games for Avondale, which finished 18-2 in the regular season and at one point won 14 straight games.

“The thing about Hannah is that her best is yet to come,” offered Avondale coach Dave Muczynski. “She’s a great athlete and a hard worker. I think she could become a dominant player inside and score over 20 a game, but we didn’t need her to this year. She’s so unselfish. She’s a good passer (out of the post) and has a nice touch. She’s also very aggressive going after rebounds. We lose some key girls, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see her numbers go up substantially next season.”

ANDREA STRAUSS, Auburn Hills Avondale 5-5 sr. SG: The consummate student-athlete, Strauss brings her exceptional athleticism and heady play to the court and was a huge contributor to a team that won back-to-back OAA White Division league championships and reached the Class A regional finals for the first time in six years. Strauss was every bit of an unselfish player, averaging 10 points, five rebounds and three steals a game for a team that finished 23-3. A dead-eye three-point shooter and fine ball-handler, Strauss canned six three-pointers against defending Class A state champion East Lansing and set a single-season career mark with 58 triples. An All-State First Team Division 2 goalkeeper in soccer, Strauss also helped Avondale win a district championship in volleyball last November, the first in school history. She has a 4.0 grade-point-average.

“She is a great team player and a great athlete,” said Muczynski. “She was willing to do whatever it took to helped us win games. She played defense, made three-pointers, handled the ball. The thing about Andrea and really the entire team was their unselfish play. Andrea could easily put in 2-0 points a game, but she sacrificed that to help us have a great season.”

SECOND TEAM

MEGAN HASTINGS, Clarkston 5-5 jr. G: The Wolves vaulted from seventh in the OAA Red Division all the way to second this season and Hastings was key cog to that turnaround. The third-year starter at the point upped her totals to 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steal a game, but more importantly her turnover decreased her shooting percentage improved vastly. She finished the year 40 percent from the field, 70 percent from the foul line and 35 percent from three-point range. The all-league performer had some of her best game in the postseason, leading her team to the Class A Sweet 16, and had a season high 23 points against Southfield Lathrup in the regular season.

“Megan is fundamentally sound, smart player with a tremendous work ethic, and is a gym rat,” said coach Tim Wasilk. “She is a very good shooter, ball handler, and passer. She can create for herself and her teammates. Megan has a very high basketball IQ and understands what our team needs during the course of the game.  Megan anticipates the passing lanes very well on the defensive end. She plays with extreme mental toughness and is a leader by example.”

KARIN MOSS, Troy 5-5 jr. PG: Moss matured into a better all-around player this season running the point for the Colts. The second-year starter averaged 13.9 points, 3.4 assists, 3.3 steals and 2.5 rebounds per game. She was also an All-OAA Red Division, All-Area North Third Team honoree by the Detroit News and

“She is our best on the ball defender, a playmaker, a scorer, and our floor and emotional leader,” said coach Dennis Koch. “She played some of her best basketball both games against Southfield-Lathrup, Pontiac, and (Waterford) Kettering. More importantly, she helped turn Troy into one of the better teams in the county and the area. She is our hardest worker, too. She seemingly never tires.”

JESSICA LANG, Rochester Adams 5-9 sr. G/F: A two-year starter after transferring over from Traverse City Central, Lang became one of the top players in the OAA White Division this season. The all-league selection averaged 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals a game. She also shot 47 percent from the floor, 37 percent from three-point range and 65 percent from the foul line. Lang also plays soccer for the Highlanders.

“Jessica Lang was our Team MVP and our All League White Division player,” said coach Fran Scislowicz. “She led Adams to a winning record and led us in almost every statistical category this season. She has committed to continue to play in college at Calvin College.”

MARISSA SECONTINE, Lake Orion 5-10 jr. F: In her second season as a starter, Secontine took over the leadership role for the 9-13 Dragons. The All-OAA Red Division honoree averaged 10.5 points and 7.5 rebounds an outing.

“Marissa was very steady for us. We knew she would give a good effort, 10-12 points and 7-10 rebounds each game,” said coach Steve Roberts. “We lost a lot of kids the past couple of years (to graduation) and Marissa stepped up for us.  When she’s on the floor, you knows she’s going to find a way to score for you and rebound for you.”

CARLEE COTTRELL, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 5-8 jr. G: An all-state transfer from Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, this junior became a key cog in the Lakers’ march to the Class D title once she became eligible in the second semester. An all-state honoree by multiple publications this season, Cottrell brought her tenacity, ball-handling and shooting skills to Our Lady of the Lakes after serving as a two-year starter at Oakland Christian, a perennial Class D power. Cottrell was one of the leading scorers in the second half of the season and in the tournament and scored a team-high 16 points in the state championship game over Bark River-Harris.

THIRD TEAM

DELANEY KENNY, Clarkston 5-9 soph. G: Following in the footstep of her older sister, Kaleigh, now at Findlay University, Kenny stepped into a more prominent role in her second season as a starter. The All-OAA Red Division selection finished as the leading scorer at 9.5 points game. She also chipped in seven rebounds, four assists and two steals a game, shot 40 percent from the floor, 70 percent from the free throw line and 30 percent from beyond the arc. Kenny led the Wolves with double digit scoring games and had a high of 17 points against Rochester Adams.

“Delaney is extremely athletic, handles the ball well, and is a very good passer,” said Wasilk. “She can play inside and out on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor at a high level. She does an excellent job of getting to the basket creating for herself and teammates. She has a great mid-range pull-up jumper. She also shoots the ball well from the three-point line. She anticipates well on defense and is one of our top rebounders. She is an ultimate competitor and gym rat.”

LIZ SIEPKER, Troy 6-1 sr. C/F: A three-year starter after transferring over from Birmingham Marian, this All-OAA Red Division performer will play next season at Hope College. Also a nomination for Academic All-state with a 3.7  GPA, Seipker was fine inside-outside threat, pouring in 9.2  points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals a game.

“Liz is a great student-athlete.  Liz embodies everything that is good about student-athletes,” said coach Dennis Koch. “Liz always works hard whether it be in the classroom or on the court. She had a great year and will be a great addition to Hope College next year.”

HALEY SVRCINA, Troy Athens 5-7 sr. PG: This heady floor leader brought her soccer mentality to the basketball court, and used her floor vision and shooting touch to help Athens finish fourth in the OAA Red Division. The four-year varsity performer, who jumps up from fourth-team to third-team this season, earned all-league honors after averaging 9.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals a contest. She will play soccer next school year at Indiana Wesleyan.

“Haley is a wonderful student-athlete,” said Noble. “She is a tremendous leader on and off the court. Her ability to control was one of the reasons that Athens has had so much success the past few years. She is a phenomenal athlete and person.”

KARA KOVACK, Rochester Stoney Creek 5-4 sr. SG: One of the area’s most feared shooters, Kovack had two games with seven three-points and also had a game with six triples. The four-year varsity player finished the season with 48 e-pointers, averaged 9.6 points a game. She poured in a season-high 27 points against OAA Red Division champion Southfield Lathrup and had another games with 21 points.

“Her job was to handle the ball or get open and shoot it,” said Crighton. “She was one of the best 3-point shooters in our league. Teams had to really guard her on the perimeter, but with having Gabby Yurik and some other players who could finish, and that kept defenses from concentrating too much time on her. When she got hot, she really burned some teams.:

COURTNEY WILLIAMS, Auburn Hills Avondale 5-7 sr. G: Williams was the Yellowjackets leading scorer in the final month of the season and huge part of their run to league and district titles. She finished the season averaging just over 12 points and three assists a game for the season, but the All-OAA White Division honoree poured in 17 a game over the final 10 games of the season.

“She came on huge for us late in the season,” said Muczynski. “She really gained some confidence with her outside shot and really came on strong. Courtney decided that she didn’t want to play in college, so she was more relaxed on the court and she was just able to have fun.

FOURTH TEAM

LEXIE ROBAK, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes 5-8 soph. F: In her second year as a starter, the youngest Robak blossomed into a fine player in her own right. The All-CHSL and All-County Fourth Team honoree led the Lakers in three-point shooting with multiple games with three or more triples and consistently opened up games with her perimeter offense. She was one of four Lakers listed on the all-conference teams for Our Lady, which won their third straight league title.

ANNA MANILLA, Clarkston 5-11 jr. F: Clarkston put together one of the better turnaround stories in Class A this season and part of that due to the post play of Manilla. The scrappy player and defensive presence under the net fought her way to 6.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals a contest in her second year as a starter and third year on varsity. She shot 45 percent from the floor and 65 percent from the foul line and was at her best in the Wolves’ drive to the regional finals.

“She’s an extremely talented athlete with a great wingspan,” said Wasilk. “She ha as a tremendous sense and understanding of the game, she’s a hard worker, coachable, communicator, team leader, captain. Anna is still very raw offensively, but has a great upside. Anna has a great first step offensively and gets to the basket and finishes well.

“Anna rebounds very well and is very physical. Anna is our defensive stopper and can defend the perimeter and the post. She held (Rochester) Stoney Creek’s Gabby Yurik to five points which is 15 points below her average. We always put Anna on the other teams best offensive player.  It is such an asset to have a defensive player that can limit an opponent’s top scoring threat.”

MADDIE HUTCHINSON, Lake Orion 5-7 jr. G/F: The three-sport athlete moved into a starting role for the Dragons this season and averaged 10.5 points, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists a game for the Dragons. Hutchinson is a quick guard and very athletics, also starting on varsity in volleyball and soccer.

“Maddie is just a well-rounded athlete,” said Roberts.”She’s not great at any one thing, but she can do a lot of us on the court. “It’s not too often anymore where you can have a three-sport athlete. She was one of our go-to players. She’s very aggressive and very determined. She’s normally a (shooting guard or small forward), but because of injuries we had to play her sometimes at the point. She did a good job wherever we played her.”

MEGAN STEINER, Rochester Hills Christian 5-11 sr. C: A three-sport standout who also moonlights as a middle blocker in volleyball and a goalkeeper in soccer, Steiner has earned all-conference accolades in all three sports in her career and leaves Rochester Hills Christian as one of its all-time top girls basketball players. This season Steiner was second in the voting and was a repeat performer on the All-FBAC Red Division First  Team after posting 12.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.9 steals and 1.5 assists for the Eagles. She led the team to the MACS Division Final Four for the first time in school history, a school record 22-2 mark and just its second-ever league championship. She was part of a turnaround that saw the Eagles go from one win to 22 victories during her four-year career as a starter. She will play next year at Pensacola (Fla.) Christian College.

“Megan is a team player who led on and off the court,” said coach Paula Bronsing. “She has a great attitude and a great work ethic.”

KIM LEPOR, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 5-7 jr. PG: This three-year varsity performer was a key contributor for the Crusaders in her first season as a starter, finishing among the leaders in multiple offensive categories. She was named to the All-MIAC Blue Division First Team after averaging 10 points and 5.5 assists a game for 10-11Northwest, which finished third in the league. Lepor combines a fine three-point shot and fine ball-handling skills to the court. She also plays varsity soccer and volleyball.

“Kim played the most minutes of anyone on the team,” said coach Michael Murphy. “

She has a heart of a champion. She’s very talented and easy a coach. The past two years, we had some depth so we brought her off the bench. This year she stepped into the starting lineup and became a leader for us.”

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

TIM WASILK, Clarkston: In his sixth season as head coach of the Wolves, Wasilk helped his troops right the ship with one of the state’s better turnaround stories. Last season Clarkston finished a dismal 6-15 with a first-round exit in the Class A tournament. This season the Wolves finished 18-6, went 16-2 in January through March, finished second in the OAA Red Division and advanced to the regional finals for the first time since the fall 2005 season before falling to Midland.

“We went from 6-15 to 18-6 this year. We only had two seniors and one senior starter last season, so we knew we had a good core coming back,” said Wasilk.”The girls worked extremely hard in the offseason to get better. We came together and had some really good chemistry. It was a fun group to coach. We had a ton of close ballgames that could have gone either way, games that went down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter. But the girls found ways to win and once we got into January, we really got on a roll. It’s a credit to the girls.”

PAULA BRONSING, Rochester Hills Christian: Bronsing took over a dormant program in 2008-09 and quickly turned the Eagles around. The year before she grabbed the reins, the Eagles won just one game. This season, they captured just their second league title in school history, went undefeated in the Fundamental Baptist Athletic Conference Red Division for the first time (8-0), set a school record for wins at 22-2, with only one loss to a Michigan school, and reached the Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state semifinals for the first time. With eight seniors on a 14-player roster, four which started regularly, the Eagles won most of their games by double digits before being upset by eventual state champion Davison Faith Baptist in the Final Four.

2011 ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

NAME                                   SCHOOL                           HT.         GR.       POS.

FIRST TEAM

Lauren Robak                    Wat. Our Lady Lakes       5-10        Sr.           G

Gabby Yurik                       Roch. Stoney Creek         5-7          Jr.           G

Sinclair Russell                  Troy Athens                       6-1          Jr.           C

Hannah Little                     A.H. Avondale                   6-0          Jr.           F

Andrea Strauss                 A.H. Avondale                   5-5          Sr.           SG

CO-COACH OF THE YEAR

Tim Wasilk                           Clarkston                             Sixth Season

Paula Bronsing                  Rochester Hills Chr.         Third Season

SECOND TEAM

Karin Moss                           Troy                                       5-5          Jr.          PG

Jessica Lang                        Roch. Adams                      5-9          Sr.          G/F

Carlee Cottrell                    Wat. Our Lady Lakes       5-8          Jr.           G

Marissa Secontine             Lake Orion                          5-10       Jr.           F

Megan Hastings                  Clarkston                             5-5          Jr.           G

THIRD TEAM

Haley Svrcina                     Troy Athens                       5-5          Sr.           G

Delaney Kenny                   Clarkston                             5-9          Soph.    G

Kara Kovack                        Roch. Stoney Creek         5-4          Sr.           SG

Courtney Williams            A.H.Avondale                   5-7          Sr.           G

Liz Siepker                            Troy                                       6-1          Sr.           F

FOURTH TEAM

Lexie Robak                        Wat. Our Lady Lakes       5-9          Soph.    G/F

Megan Steiner                    Rochester Hills Chr.        5-11       Sr.           C

Kim Lepor                            R.H. Luth. N’west             5-7          Jr.           G

Anna Manilla                      Clarkston                             5-10       Jr.           F

Maddie Hutchinson         Lake Orion                          5-7          Jr.           G

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Auburn Hills Avondale: Moriah Schroll, 6-1 sr. C; Loreal Farris, 5-8 jr. PG; Auburn Hills Christian Academy: Not available; Clarkston: Lindsey Reppuhn, 5-5 sr. SG; Tori Trimmer, 5-8 jr. F; Christina Jokisch, 6-1 jr. F; Clarkston Everest Collegiate: Mary Jo Allen, 5-11 fr. G; Angelina Mastromatteo, 5-6 fr. G; Julianna Mastromatteo, 5-8 jr. F; Clarkston Springfield Christian: Megan Kaster, 5-9 soph.  F;  Lake Orion: Laura Turnbull, 5-11 jr. F/C; Emily Kipp, 5-9 soph. F; Lake Orion Baptist: Jolena Moreno, 5-4 sr. PG; Brundage, 5-7 jr. F; Breanne Watterworth, 6-0 fr. C; Oxford: Samantha Murphy, 5-7 sr. F; Rochester: Catherine Steffens, 6-1 sr. C/F; Kristin Garr, 5-7 sr. PG; Rochester Adams: Jocelyn McDougal, 5-7 sr. SG; Kelly Quinlan, 5-8 sr. C; Rochester Stoney Creek: Emily Wood, 5-11 sr. C/F; Rochester Hills Christian: Allise Dubay, 5-3 jr. PG; Jane Crile, 5-7 sr. F; Caroline Milsk, 5-5 sr. G/F; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: Abbey Looker, 5-7 jr. G; Jillian McLoughlin, 5-11 sr. C;  Troy: Sydney Heath, 5-7 fr. G; Sabria Cotton, soph. G; Troy Athens: Jenna O’Dell, 5-7 sr. F; Marissa Kozikowski, 5-6 sr. G; Troy Bethany Christian: Sarah Bishop, 5-8 fr. G/F; Lianna Sprankle, 5-7 soph. G; Troy Christian Leadership Academy: Not available; Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes: Ava Doetsch, 5-5 soph. G; Meghan Topolewski, 5-5 sr. F.

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Category: All Area Teams, Auburn Hills Avondale, Auburn Hills Christian Acadamy, Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, Clarkston, Clarkston Everest Catholic, Clarkston Springfield Christian, High School, High School (M-Z), Lake Orion, Lake Orion Baptist, Lake Orion Shalom Baptist, Oxford, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Hills Christian, Rochester Hills Lutheran NW, Rochester Stoney Creek, Troy, Troy Athens, Troy Bethany Christian, Troy Christian Leadership Acadamy, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes