On the Rise
The Pflugerville Panthers
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Head Coach Nancy Walling and the
Panthers talk things over
during a time-out. |
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The defending regional champs the Pflugerville Panthers have already found this season to be full of challenges. The first hurdle is of course trying to push forward without their powerhouse post Nneka Enemkpali. The star junior is still rehabbing from her ACL tear from last year's final four. Her return is just around the corner and her teammates have only gotten stronger in her absence. Sometimes having such a big presence on your team can leave the troops standing around waiting for the go to player to take care of business. So one could argue that in the long run this is going to make the Panthers even harder to deal with once the playoffs roll around. Early the Panthers jumped out to a 7-0 start before dropping two heartbreakers to Bryan and Midway. They have won both tourneys (Greater Austin and Hays) that they have played in so far and they seemed to be headed towards another possible trip to the drum in March. |
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#10 Adesuwa Ebomwonyi |
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| Much of the early success has come on the shoulders of Ebomwonyi. Adesuwa is one of those rare characters that makes everybody feel good about what they are doing. She works hards and always has a smile on her face. This week in four games at the Rebel Classic she scored 60 points and grabbed 46 rebounds leading the Panthers to the tournament title and earning her the MVP trophy. "Dae Dae" as her teammates love to call her has speed, strength and a wonderful awareness of the court and has proven to be a critical component of Pflugerville's full-court offense. Coach Walling spoke about her saying, "Adesuwa, has moved back to the #4 position, and is playing with a lot more confidence, resulting in her MVP honor at the Hays Rebel Classic, this weekend. She's a natural leader and is our workhorse under the basket." |
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#32 Ari Booth |
Sophomore Ari Booth is straight up a "GYM RAT". She never stops working on her game and has big plans and a big future. One of the most common sights in the Panther gym is to see Ari by herself dribbling two balls simultaneously to improve her ball handling skills. Booth has a nice shooting touch and the only thing missing from her game is confidence that will come with experience. She is leading the team in three point field goals.
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#20 Curtiesha Woods
The Panthers are still looking for the correct fit up top a topic coach Walling discussed, "We're young with lot's of potential, and still need to continue improving on doing the little things. The girls are working hard, and we are seeing steady improvement. We really need to have someone step up in the point guard position, and take over leading the team. Curtiesha Woods is starting to take over that role and when she plays with confidence she has been really good. |
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Curtiesha is the most well rounded scorer/shooter on our team, she's able to drive and knock down the jumpshot and can spot up and hit the 3." |
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Everytime a team looses a critical player someone has the opportunity to fill the void. The only question is who will rise to the occasion taking their game to another level. For the Panthers the answer has been obvious as high flying "I.T." has simply been amazing. She has the look of a possible future stud whose game is already formidable. Coach Walling says, "Itiana Taylor is fun to watch...when we improve some of the basic fundamentals of her game, she's going to be a force to reckon with. She was named All Tournament at the Hays tournament."
Taylor is already scoring over 10 pts a game and is 2nd on the team in rebounds and leading the Panthers in blocked shots. The really scary part is #24 is getting better by the second and her ceiling is VERY high.
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#24 Sophomore I'Tiana Taylor
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Christy Mooney
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Christie Mooney & De Hyder both play important roles for P-Ville. Coach Walling said, "Christy Mooney has stepped up her leadership role by her play on the court, she makes things happen both offensively and defensively. De Hyder, is the "enforcer" under the basket, who posts up strong and has a nice touch on her shot. She's a smart player and draws the tough defensive assignment of guarding the other team's "big" girl even though De stands at about 5'9"."
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#50 DyMesheon Hyder |
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#00 Jasmyn Booker
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#34 Deborah Roucloux |
Out with injuries Raven Burton
& Nneka Enemkpali |
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The Panthers look tough enough to make a run at this even without Nneka on the court. But if she can return soon and play to her full potential, Pflugerville will have to be considered the favorite to win region IV. A goal this entire team has their minds set on.
We at TexasGirlsBasketball.com wish the Panthers a great 2010 campaign. |
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