Big games, bigger effort
ADAMS TWP — The bigger the game, the bigger the hop in Lauren Wasylson’s step.
Nothing drives her more than high stakes.
“The energy of the playoffs has really gotten to me,” said Wasylson, a sophomore guard/forward for the Mars girls basketball team. “I mean, it’s the playoffs. It’s exciting.”
Wasylson’s play has been exciting down the stretch for the Planets, a team that was as big a question mark as there was with a new coach and a new cast of characters that included the 5-foot-10 lanky swing player before the season.
As the year has progressed, Mars has gotten better — right along with its young stars.
Now the Planets (19-5) find themselves on the doorstep of playing for a WPIAL Class AAA title. All they need to do is keep surprising people as they clash with Trinity Wednesday at West Allegheny High School in the semifinals.
Wasylson said she and her teammates have been motivated by the pundits who had given Mars little chance to get this far.
“It pushes us a lot,” she said. “Especially being the No. 6 seed. The adrenalin kicks in. We know we’re better than No. 6 — not to jinx anything.”
Wasylson said she knew she’d have to be better than a sixth man this season.
A lot of onus was placed on the younger players on the roster this year, including junior Nicole McCloud, freshman Tai Johnson and Wasylson.
All three have risen to that challenge.
Wasylson said she worked hard in the offseason to improve, knowing she would be called upon to play a major role this season.
Her strength has been her ability to play — and score — anywhere on the court.
“I try to make my game inside and outside so I can be a versatile player,” Wasylson said. “That really helps me a lot being able to play inside or outside. The defenders just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Mars has known exactly what Wasylson would do over the last eight games — play well.
During the final six regular-season games, Wasylson averaged 15.3 points. In the playoffs, she put up 22 against Deer Lakes and another 16 Saturday in a rousing upset win of Ambridge.
“She’s the spark plug that gets us going,” said Mars coach Dana Petruska. “She gets everyone fired up. Everyone feeds off her.”
Wasylson said they all feed off each other.
“We’re like the Fab Five out there,” Wasylson said, smiling. “We work together. We click. The last quarter of the Ambridge game, we all clicked. It’s amazing when we all click.”
Wasylson hopes her team can continue clicking — and surprising people in the process.
“We’ve proven a lot of people wrong,” Wasylson said. “And now we’re in the semifinals. It’s been 12 years (the 2003-04 season) since Mars has been in the semis. That’s a long time.”
