Lady Panthers have to learn on the fly

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Superior Sun

A Lady Panthers’ basketball team with only four returning varsity players, including starters Cierra Navarrette and Ariana San Miguel, will need the younger players to get up to speed in a hurry.

Head coach Manuel Ortega knows a lot of work needs to be done before the regular season starts.

“Our biggest challenge is getting these young girls to understand the fundamentals and develop their basketball IQ,” he said.

In the meantime, Ortega will rely heavily on Navarratte, San Miguel, and senior Hunter Flanagan to lead way on and off the court. As the most experienced players on the team, the trio of upperclassmen will need to lead by example.

Limiting turnovers is considered the biggest improvement the team needs to make from last year. According to Ortega, too many turnovers contributed to a number of losses last season. He wants the team to cut down on them this season. With a young team, it might take some time.

Rebounding and staying out of foul trouble are other areas that are important to having a successful season.

“We are a young team this year,” Ortega said. “We might not do well early on, but toward the middle of the season we will hit our peak.”

The Lady Panthers open their season next Tuesday, Nov. 25, at Globe. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Andy Luberda (1149 Posts)

Andrew Luberda began writing for Copper Area News Publishers (CANP) in February 2013 after working 15 years in Healthcare Financial Management. Andy covers sports for 11 high schools. His stories are published in Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner and Superior Sun, in addition to the San Tan Valley Daily PRSS and CopperArea websites. Additionally, he has written human interest stories and business profiles. In May 2012, he earned an AAS in Sports Management at Central Arizona College before graduating with a BS in Communication from Arizona State University in 2014. He and his wife, Kelli, have three sons – AJ, Kyle, and Kade.


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