Kotzebue girls playing dynamic defense

January 13th 1:47 am | Van Williams    

They set the defensive tone last year, but now the Kotzebue girls basketball players are getting ultra-defensive.

In a way they had to go that direction after losing two all-state players that fueled the offense. But even Kotzebue coach Jake Stoops is a little impressed with how efficient the Lady Huskies have been guarding the ball.

"We started playing better defense last year, but this team has really bought into it," Stoops said. "Just overall we're playing really good team defense. Everybody is on the same page, working hard. We're blocking out better than we did last year, which has been a huge point of emphasis for us.

"It's never easy having five [players] work together."

Yet the Lady Huskies continue to get the job done.

At last weekend's Grace Christian Classic in Anchorage, Kotzebue went 2-1 to finish in second place; its lone loss came in OT to top-ranked Barrow.

Star guard Dessirea Kenworthy led the team with a 22-point scoring average, helping her earn a place on the all-tournament team.

The Lady Huskies opened with a 44-32 victory over host Grace, thanks in large part to Kenworthy's 19 points and Colleen Snyder's 12.

Snyder sunk three 3-pointers in the second quarter alone to give her team a 26-15 halftime advantage.

In the next game, Kotzebue lost a heart-breaking 63-59 OT decision to top-ranked Barrow. It was the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Class 3A state championship game.

It was the closest the Lady Huskies have been to knocking off the top dog in two years, but that's not how Stoops gauges the success of his squad.

"You can't help but circle Barrow on the schedule because of who they are and their history," he said. "But more than anything it's about us and just focusing on what we need to do."

The two teams will see each other at least two more times this year, maybe four depending on the postseason.

This time, Kenworthy pumped in a game-high 28 points and played dynamic defense, hassling Barrow ball handlers all day.

"She has that top-end speed that makes her a real force in the press," Stoops said. "She can really cancel out the other team's point guard. When she keeps her feet moving she can keep anybody in front of her."

Snyder added 15 points and Alysha Nanouk scored 6 points for Kotzebue.

Nanouk had a greater impact defensively as she had the seemingly impossible job of guarding Barrow's 6-foot-4 Lynette Hepa. Hepa scored 25 points but was held scoreless in the third quarter.

"She took a pounding," Stoops said of the 5-foot-7 Nanouk. "She was fronting [Hepa], blocking out, posting up, every trip down the floor. I thought she really elevated her game."

In the final game, Kotzebue beat Houston 42-31. Once again Kenworthy paced the team with 18 points, including 10 in a wild fourth quarter.

Mary Sue Hyatt added 9 points.

"She is just a grinder," Stoops said. "She works her tail off every single game."

 

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