WINTER SPORTS
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020
4 players return to anchor team that went 19-5 Bulldog girls hope for return to Lincoln Telegraph file photo Gracie Haneborg (2) puts up a running shot against several Gering defenders in February 2020. Haneborg averaged 18.6 points, 7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 5.6 steals per game as a junior.
won’t have much of a problem going 10 or 11 deep if we want to.” Hammond said. “We re- turn a core from last year and we kind of know how they are going to play and what we are going to do with them. “It’s trying to figure out how the rest (of the roster) kind of fit together and what our good combinations are (on the court). Defense will be what drives the success of the Bulldogs this season, regardless of the line- up combinations. “The biggest thing is that we can always control how we play on defense,” Hammond said. “That’s where everything starts for us. We want to get out and pressure opponents and make them have to do things (offensively) that they are not comfortable with. “Easy buckets are huge throughout the course of the game,” Hammond said. “If we can get eight to 12 transition points game because we are able to pressure people, force turnovers and get out and run, that’s huge.”
(to state) but there are so many things that go into it,” Hammond said. “You have to stay healthy and you have to figure out how everything fits together. Then we have to find a way to make sure we are playing our basketball at the end of the year again this sea- son.” There is reason to believe North Platte should be a force again. Junior Sedina Hayes and seniors Carly Purdy, Abby Orr and Gracie Haneborg are returners back from a team that finished with a 19-5 mark last year and lost to Lincoln Piux X in the opening round of the state tournament. Haneborg, a 5-foot-8 guard, is considered among the top players in the state. She aver- aged 18.6 points, 7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 5.6 steals per game as a junior. “Gracie is incredibly com- petitive but the thing most people don’t know is what she does on her own outside of reg- ular practice,” Hammond said.
Schedule Dec. 19............................................................................... Norfolk Dec. 29-30............................................Beatrice Holiday Tourney Jan. 5............................................................................at Kearney Jan. 9................................................................. Kearney Catholic Jan. 15....................................................................... at Lexington Jan. 16................................................................................Sidney Jan. 19.......................................................................... Northwest Jan. 22......................................................................... at McCook Jan. 23.................................................................................... York Jan. 30.............................................................................. Alliance Feb. 2...................................................................... Lincoln Pius X Feb. 5...........................................................................at Hastings Feb. 11..................................................................... at Scottsbluff Feb. 12............................................................................ at Gering
By TIM JOHNSON tim.johnson@nptelegraph.com The Bulldogs advanced to the state girls basketball tour- nament last season for the first time in 11 years. With a solid returning core of four players, it would seem that North Platte making a return trip this year is well within reason. It’s a challenge that coach Tyson Hammond said his play- ers are ready for. “I don’t think we don’t re- ally think of it as pressure (to return) at this point,” said Hammond, who is in his fourth year with the pro- gram. “We’re just going out and playing. We want that opportunity to have (high) ex- pectations. “That’s the goal, to give our- selves a chance to get back
“Carly is just a great ath- lete,” Hammond said. “She is still learning how to play bas- ketball right now but she has desire to rebound and a will- ingness to guard different people on defense.” Hammond said with a mix of experienced and new players, the team is going about eight or nine players deep, but there are some individuals on the roster battling injuries right now. “I think once we get healthy and get everybody going, we
“She puts extra workouts in and will work on her ball-han- dling and shooting. She is incredibly driven to be good at what she does.” Purdy and Orr averaged 10 and 9.4 points last season, re- spectively, and combined for more than 13 rebounds per game. “Abby is 6-2 and athletic,” Hammond said. “Her ability to score, pass, rebound and just create things (offensively) re- ally opens things up for what we do.
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