If Bluffton hopes to continue on its road of firsts and capture a third straight Sectional title for the first time in program history, a core member of their defending champion team is going to be looked at to expand her game, as she has done each of the past two seasons with the Tigers.
Emme Boots was one of those players that you just knew as a freshman had a special trait about her and she’s used it to help catapult Bluffton to back to back Regional appearances for the first time ever. Boots averaged a team high 13.1 points while grabbing 3.6 rebounds and having 2.5 steals per game during the 2018-2019 season. Boots’ performances last season were tremendous, including scoring double digits in eight of her first nine games with 22 points each against New Haven, South Adams and Woodlan. Her 15 point outing against Adams Central to win a Sectional title was an understated performance, one that was filled with crucial moments as the Flying Jets tried to claw back into the game.
Boots has very good length, making her a matchup problem for a lot of teams. A guard by traditional standards, she shoots the ball well (41 percent from the field, 74 percent from the free throw line), but is a difficult player to rebound around as well. As Boots continues to learn her superior length, her rebounding numbers will go up and as the top returning rebounder for Bluffton, expectations will be for her to attack the interior more this season. Boots has become the prototypical hybrid so far and that skill set will only increase in value.
“Emme returns as a junior that lead our team in scoring last year and has been a big part of Back to Back Sectional Championships. She has worked hard in the off-season to improve her game and is one of the top juniors in the area,” says Bluffton coach Karl Grau. “She will be asked to lead both on and off the court and will be counted on to help our team be at its’ best to help a lot of new varsity players become competitive throughout the season.”
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