Season Preview: Patriot League
With the 2019-20 girls basketball season right around the corner, let’s take a look back/forward at how things shook out and what to look forward to in each of Colorado’s conferences. Here’s a snapshot of the Patriot League. How…
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Continue ReadingWith the 2019-20 girls basketball season right around the corner, let’s take a look back/forward at how things shook out and what to look forward to in each of Colorado’s conferences. Here’s a snapshot of the Patriot League.
How it all shook out in ’18-19
Eaton brought home the league title last winter with a perfect 10-0 conference record. Platte Valley was second at 9-1, losing 43-35 to Eaton during the league season and again, 45-33, in the district round. Resurrection Christian was third with a 7-3 league record.
Which playoff team advanced the farthest?
Three teams from this league – Eaton, Platte valley and University – reached the Sweet 16. Eaton knocked University out in that round and went on to reach the state title game, where the Reds lost 54-20 to two-time defending champion St. Mary’s.
A few returning players to watch
Cora Schissler, 2022, 5-4, G, Platte Valley
The top returning scorer in the Patriot League, Schissler was second in the league with an average of 12.6 points per game last winter. She also averaged 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals a night while playing as a freshman in ’18-19. Schissler forms an intriguing tandem with fellow sophomore Brooke Bunting, who averaged 9.7 points last season.
Olivia Hamel, 2020, 5-10, F, Estes Park
A double-double machine for the Bobcats last season, she had 14 of them. That allowed her to finish her junior season with averages of 11.8 points and 11.7 rebounds. She also blocked 3.6 shots per game.
Taylor Fritzler, 2020, 5-9, SF/PF, Liberty Common
Rangy and athletic, Fritzler knows how to get to spots on the floor where she can score and does a good job of doing so on a nightly basis. She is also active on the defensive end and in the full-court press, and averaged 10.7 points and 2.1 steals as a junior last season. Fritzler and fellow senior Tatum Flack should be impact players in the conference.
Kylie Kravig, 2021, 5-8, G, University
The outside component of University’s inside-outside tandem along with senior center Taylor Gollhofer, Kravig was a 30-percent 3-point shooter who averaged an even 10 points a game. She also averaged 3.0 steals, 2.8 rebounds and led the league with 4.8 assists, many of which went to Gollhofer who averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds a night.
Juju Hemeyer, 2020, 5-7, PG/W, Resurrection Christian
A solid 3-pointer shooter and a strong defender, Hemeyer averaged 9.8 points per game. She did a lot more than that, too, averaging 4.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals while also showing good instincts and timing when the time came to block a shot or two.
A quick, early look to ’19-20
Looking at which teams have what coming back, there’s a good chance that Platte Valley’s up-and-coming roster could overtake Eaton, which graduated last year’s top two scorers, for the early favorite. Resurrection Christian also graduated a ton of starters while University has a bunch coming back. It’ll probably be the same three or four teams that finish around the top of the league standings but there’s plenty of potential for things to get shaken up a bit this winter.