Sports

Lady Spartans To Start Fresh

Posted on: Sunday, November 25, 2012

Following a disappointing 2-19 record last season, the Alexander Spartans women’s basketball team enter the 2012-2013 year with their sights set on improving their play behind seniors Kaylee Koker and Reana Putnam. The Lady Spartans have dominated the TVC-Ohio in previous years and they look to get back to old ways with a new look at the head coaching position.

First-year head coach Scott Hinton has conveyed new opportunities to the Lady Spartans and has encouraged them to look toward improving throughout the season as a team. His belief in senior leadership has put pressure on both Koker and Putnam to boost the morale of the young Spartans and slingshot them from the bottom of the rankings to the top of the TVC.

“My motto is that you win with seniors,” Hinton said. “I’m gonna’ put a lot of pressure on Reana Putnum and Kaylee Koker to lead us.”

Koker, an All-Hero nominee last season, is the focal point of the Lady Spartans offense this year.

The Lady Spartans are looking at Koker to commit to multiple roles in order for their team to be successful. After taking on the responsibility of the Spartans main ball handler last year, Koker will try to make plays from both the point and the post to give Alexander the leadership they need to get better.

“Our expectations are to just ultimately get better,” Koker said. “We're not really focused on winning, although winning is nice, we just ultimately want to get better at the end of the year.”

The Lady Spartans enter the season as a young team yet again with six of their thirteen players being underclassmen. The seniors and junior All-Hero nominee Marilyn Rankin are going to be key influential points in the rebuilding Spartans for a second straight year.

“Some juniors are stepping up big time,” Hinton said. “We have some young people that are gonna’ be starting for us and playing a lot of minutes. So, were gonna’ have a good mix of leaders and people that are willing to work hard.”

The Lady Spartans’ first game comes November 26 at 7:30 p.m. when they host New Lexington.