Tornado girls possess plenty of experience

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

November 28, 2005 Last Updated: November 28, 2005 01:03 PM High School

BUTLER TWP — A knee injury to senior point guard Kelly Miller short-circuited Butler's girls basketball season a year ago.

That same injury might jump-start the Golden Tornado this time around.

"When we lost Kelly, we had to play a lot of younger girls who were seeing their first varsity minutes," coach Dorothea Epps said. "We didn't have much other experience at that position.

"Now we have plenty of experience there. Hopefully, we can reap the benefits."

Miller is the only player lost from last season. Her mid-season injury sent Butler tumbling to a sub-.500 campaign and the Tornado missed the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in six years.

"That really bothered us," said junior center Amy Achesinski. "We're not used to seeing our season end so early."

Achesinski averaged 14 points and eight rebounds per game last season and returns at center. Samantha Karns, a senior forward who also saw her 2004-05 season cut short by a knee injury, is healthy and back in the lineup.

Karns averaged six points and six rebounds before getting hurt.

"Having Sam out there takes a lot of the rebounding load off Amy," Epps said.

"(Karns) has a knack for getting the ball — especially offensive rebounds," Achesinski said.

Starting in the backcourt for Butler are senior point guard Ashley Nocera, and juniors Rachel Barry (7 ppg.) and Maria Baroffio.

Nocera saw the bulk of the time at point guard last year after Miller's injury.

"Ashley brings a lot of speed on the floor and she's coming into her own at the position," Epps said. "Her understanding of our offense is so much better.

"We want to be quick, do a lot of trapping and press, create some points off turnovers. That style of play has become a tradition here."

Seniors Julie Ehrman, Kelley Crater, Abby Herrit and Michelle Ritchey provide depth off the bench, as do 5-foot-11 junior forward Elizabeth Schultz and sophomore guards Karissa King and Lyndsy Day.

Schultz provides Butler with another strong rebounder.

"We should be strong underneath, as long as we box out," Epps said. "We should be able to go 10 deep this year, at least.

"That's something new for us. We could go six or seven deep in past years, but now we have a lot of interchangeable players. We can mix and match, do a lot of things."

The coach expects opponents to collapse on Achesinski defensively, as they did last year when Miller was out of the lineup.

Achesinski expects the same.

"Teams will try to take me out of the game offensively," the junior center said. "I have to recognize that and kick it back out when we have open shooters."

Open shooters have to make the shots, too, which is why Epps formed the 30,000 club this preseason.

"Using the honor system, I challenged our girls to keep track of how many shots they took on their own," she said. "They each had a paper and kept track.

"Some got to 30,000 shots, some didn't. Some of the girls played other sports and just couldn't do it. But everyone's worked hard."

As for the section race this season, Epps insists that's nothing changed.

"It's still the strongest section in girls basketball," she said. "If anything, it's gotten stronger.

"Our goal is to get back to the playoffs and go from there. But it's going to be a grind getting there."

BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL 2005-06 Basketball Schedule

Dec. 2-3-

BUTLER TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT;

Dec. 5-

at Kiski Area;

Dec. 7-

at Hampton;

Dec. 13-