Prep basketball: Su Valley girls eager to improve

TALKEETNA — The evolution of the Susitna Valley girls’ basketball program is a two-part process.

The Rams have already taken the first step — Su Valley has nearly double the number of athletes of some Rams squads in recent memory. But the next task for second-year head coach James Sickler is to teach the younger Su Valley athletes the finer points of the game of

basketball.

“We have a lot of participation, but a lot of the kids, it’s their first year of high school basketball,” Sickler said after his team’s 33-23 win over Anderson on Saturday. “We’re missing a lot of the knowledge, but I think the attitude’s good.”

Sickler has a nucleus of upperclassmen to work with — such as seniors Amanda Crosby, Caitlin Hunt and Kristjana Timmers — but the bulk of the athletes are still underclassmen.

“It’s going to take us a little while to learn,” Sickler said. “(But) it’s a coachable group of kids.”

Sickler will ask his top three seniors to lead the Rams (1-4) through a tournament-heavy schedule that features three-game events in Healy, Cordova, Tok and Anchorage.

Hunt, a quick and aggressive point guard who led her team with a game-high 15 points against Anderson, will be the floor general on offense and lead the perimeter defense.

“She’s the person we turn to, to run the ball a lot,” Sickler said. “We rely on her for a lot of things.”

Timmers will be the leader in the paint for the Rams.

“She’s doing a good job of being physical, getting to the free-throw line,” Sickler said. “She’s tough for us.”

And Crosby is Su Valley’s perimeter threat on offense.

“She’s definitely our best shooter,” Sickler said.

Sickler also feels he has an assortment of younger talent to complement his senior

trio.

Among the players Sickler expects to continue to progress are guard Teslin Matthews and freshmen Ashley Evans and Katherine Wollet.

“They have the physical tools to be really good, and I think they will this season,” Sickler said.

Because of the devastating 2007 fire that burned Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School to the ground, the Rams have been playing this season without a true home gym. On Saturday, Su Valley hosted Anderson in one of its five designated home games at Houston Middle School. Eighteen of Su Valley’s 23 games this season will be one the road.

“It’s tough because you’re playing your home games away from home. It’s tough to have that home game feel,” Sickler said. “Our kids have dealt with it

really well.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.