CARTHAGE, Mo. — Though the record wasn’t what Carthage girls basketball had in mind last season, the experience the Tigers gained a year ago will pay huge dividends in 2022-23.
After graduating a pair of seniors from last year’s team that went 11-16, Carthage returns four starters to go along with several newcomers to the varsity squad as the Tigers eye a bounceback season.
“I think the team has high expectations this year,” Carthage coach Scott Moore said. “They are excited to get in the gym and get this season going. We had a great summer of leagues and team camps that really showed these girls how they can compete with the better teams in our area. We will look and play differently than we have in the past and that will allow the girls to enjoy a new brand of basketball.”
“I think this is the year that we can crack the top five in our conference, so that has created a lot of excitement in the program,” Moore added. “However, that won’t be easy. The girls know they will have to work hard every day in practice to reach that goal. We have a tough non-conference schedule set up this year to prepare us for a loaded (Central Ozark Conference) slate. We need to make sure we are playing our best basketball when we get to January and February. We can’t afford lulls like we had a couple times last year.”
The Tigers welcome back four starters, highlighted by returning senior all-Central Ozark Conference point guard Kianna Yates.
Yates averaged 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals per game last season.
Carthage also returns senior F Landry Cochran as well as a pair of sophomore guards in Lauren Choate and Maggie Boyd.
Joining the varsity program are sophomores Zye Clark (F), Jaidyn Brunnert (F) and Lexa Youngblood (G) as well as junior G Trisha Kanas.
The strength for the Tigers this season will come from the backcourt. Three of the four returning starters are guards, with much of the frontcourt coming in the form of first-time varsity contributors outside of Cochran.
“With our three top scorers returning as guards, they will likely do the bulk of our heavy lifting on offense,” Moore said. “However, our post players are all capable of going off for double digits on any given night. We won’t be the tallest team in any games we play this season, but we will use our team speed and athleticism to punish the taller teams in the open court offensively and defensively.”
The most important key to success for Carthage this season will revolve around consistency. Though the Tigers lack size up front, if they play with the proper effort on defense and while rebounding, as well as take advantage of high-percentage looks on offense, Coach Moore believes his Tigers are in for a solid year on the court.
“The biggest key for us will always be how we play. ‘It’s never who we play, it’s always how we play. Same three letters in those two words, but the order of those letters make all the difference.’ That’s an original Scott Moore quote,” Moore said. “The girls have heard it 100 times from me. That means that if we play with effort, energy and enthusiasm for 32 minutes, we can beat any team we play. If we don’t, we can lose to anyone we play.”
Carthage opens the season on the road with a matchup against Hillcrest on Nov. 22 before the Tigers open up at home as the hosts of the Lady Tigers Invitational on Dec. 1-3.
