Strong mental game key for youthful E-Gals

November 24, 2018 | 12:01 am

Updated November 22, 2018 | 11:21 pm

Illustration by The Owensboro Times

Mental toughness will be key this year for the Apollo girls’ basketball team after losing four seniors to graduation.

Coming off a 16-16 season that ended in the first round of the Region 3 tournament, the E-Gals roster a team full of youth and inexperience. Though they lost four players to graduation, head coach Natalie Payne has a few returners she’ll rely on to carry the team.

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Senior guard Lexi Shadowen, who is the No. 6 player in the region in The Cats’ Pause preseason rankings, will be the starting guard. She averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game last season.

“Lexi brings toughness and a competitive edge,” Payne said. “She can score in a variety of ways. She can get to the rim, pull up for the mid-range jumper and knock down the 3-point shot.”

Other key players coming back include sophomore guards Amber Dunn (6.6 ppg, 5.3 rbg) and Brylee Rhodes (3.3 ppg and 2.9 rpg).

“Amber has made great strides over the summer,” Payne said. “Her ability to defend, knock down perimeter shots and get to the foul line will be key for us this season. Brylee is very athletic and a strong defender and rebounder. We look for Brylee to take on more of a scoring role for us this season. She has the ability to knock down the perimeter shot and get to the rim.”

While the trio of guards will be the foundation, Payne also has a handful of other sophomores she expects to contribute this year.

Addison Carter, Amari Sanders, Zoe Floyd, Kassidy Daugherty and Regan Rone are all underclassmen who could step into big roles. With so many young players, Payne said staying mentally sharp will be important, but she has already seen great improvement since last year.

“Our mental toughness must improve from last season,” she said. “We, as coaches, have seen our players make huge strides in this area in the offseason.”

The E-Gals will have about three weeks to prepare for back-to-back tournaments featuring top teams from Region 2 and Region 3. First up will be the Owensboro Invitational Tournament, followed by the FNB Holiday Bash after Christmas.

Payne said for the team to find success, Apollo must buy into the defensive end. With a schedule full of tough competition, they’ll have to lock down and play together each night.

“We have the ability to pressure teams in the full court and allow our defense to create scoring opportunities,” Payne said. “We must be a team that continues to push when things are not necessarily going our way. We must play for each other and sacrifice for each other on and off the court.”

November 24, 2018 | 12:01 am

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