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Deyarmin twins elevate GC girls hoops

GROVE CITY — There are days when Alexis Deyarmin can get to the hoop against her twin sister, Brenna, and score.

There are days when Brenna can take a step back and pop a 3-pointer over Alexis.

Every day they play one-on-one against each other, though, the competition between the juniors on the Grove City High girls basketball team is fierce.

And ultimately beneficial to both.

“It’s really awesome,” Alexis said. “Our parents (Jeff and Nancy) tell us each day how lucky we are that we get to play against each other and push each other to get to the next level every day. It’s a lot of fun.”

But who wins?

That’s a question that stumps the twins because the outcomes are usually pretty split between the two 5-foot-10 guards/forwards.

“Oh, geez,” Brenna said. “It depends. It’s usually whoever is hotter that day.”

Both have been sizzling for the Eagles so far this season.

Brenna is coming off a 20-point performance against Mercer Saturday. Alexis chipped in 17 in that lopsided win that put Grove City at 4-0 on the season.

Brenna, a dangerous perimeter shooter, is averaging 14.8 points per game this season and has drained six 3-pointers.

Alexis, more of a passer and slasher, has chipped in eight points per game.

But the coaching staff challenged Alexis to look to score more. She has responded.

“Alexis does a lot of things that people who don’t follow basketball closely don’t always notice,” said Grove City coach T.L. Eller. “She gets a lot of rebounds, guards the other team’s best player, gets a lot of assists. But we talked to her this week about being a little more aggressive and she had an explosive night against Mercer.”

The twins came off the bench last season for Grove City, but saw their minutes increase as the season went on.

This year, Eller was counting on the Deyarmins to become key cogs in the offense, along with senior center Jordyn Wyllie.

Wyllie has also excelled this year, leading the team at 20 points per game.

The twins’ different skill sets have meshed well this season.

“Brenna is obviously a very, very good outside shooter,” Eller said. “Whenever you have a player who can go off for three or four 3s in a short period of time to break the game open is huge for you.

“They have different ways of doing it,” Eller added of the twins, “but they get it done.”

It also helps that they have a sort of ESP on the court.

“It’s really easy for us,” Brenna said. “All we have to do sometimes is make eye contact with each other and we know exactly what the other is thinking.”

The Deyarmins have cultivated that sixth sense since they began playing basketball together in the fourth grade.

They tried other sports — volleyball and track and field — but basketball struck a chord with both.

They have been basketball junkies ever since.

In the summer, they played for Keystone Crush AAU team with and against players older than them.

“It prepared us a lot,” Brenna said. “Traveling and seeing big girls and guards with quickness helped us a lot.”

Alexis used the time to work on her shooting.

Eller said she is almost too unselfish.

“I like to play for the team,” Alexis said. “I know scoring is important and I love to score, but I also love to dish it inside to Jordyn Wyllie.”

Alexis said she is gaining more confidence in her ability to put the ball in the hoop — not a good thing for Grove City opponents, who already appear to have their hands full with the Eagles this season.

Grove City has been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round the last three seasons.

The Deyarmins don’t want a repeat.

“(The playoff losses) definitely have stuck with us,” Alexis said. “It made us want to work so much harder.”

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