Don’t overreact Bounce. It was just a quarterfinal game in the SAC Holiday Tournament. The other team was the eight seed. DO. NOT. OVERREACT.
Wow, Homestead’s reserves are good.
In a 96-24 blowout of Snider on Friday afternoon, Homestead’s starts posted major numbers and it allowed for the Spartans’ bench to go deep. What did that show? That Homestead, as we probably already knew, is going to be very good for a long time.
If you only know that Homestead starting five, I suggest you become familiar with Megan Yoder, Alison Stephens, Molly Stock and Maggie Keinsley.
Throughout the game, Yoder’s court vision was on another level. She was able to play patient and thread the needle, racking up five assists and finding her teammates. As a facilitator, she takes some pressure off Grace Sullivan’s starting role.
Keinsley (pictured) is a quiet and somewhat unassuming presence that rebounds the basketball well by being educated on her interior angles. She also has a really nice baby jumper that is soft, especially from a baseline angle. She scored 8 points in Friday’s win over Snider.
Stock is a highly touted prospect, who drew praise in the offseason from Always 100 founder Vernard Hollins during one of he and I’s talks. Stock mixes up the serious and just happy to be here fun and it allows her game to stay loose. Her connection with Stephens is something you can’t ignore. She scored 11 in the Friday win with a pair of assists.
Stephens went ahead and put up 14 points in the quarterfinal win. I compare Stephens to about where Homestead senior Sydney Graber was with her play in her sophomore year. But Stephens, she is still just a freshman. Stephens has a soft touch at the rim, rolls well to the basket and can also knock down the triple.
This is a Homestead team that we have just watched reload and reload and reload since they have joined the SAC. It is why they win championships consistently. But we have to think back to the Spartans’ 2017 state title team where they have been as potentially deep with so many players that will be back next season. During the meat of the Spartans’ win over Snider, they played 11 players and nine of them are freshmen, sophomores and juniors that will return next season.
There is a long way to go in this tournament and this season for Homestead and plenty of more things they want to accomplish under interim head coach Kara Ankenbruck. But for me, for today anyway, I can’t help but relish in the idea of a bright future continuing after this season. Homestead’s legacy is certainly in good hands.
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