On Wednesday, when Springstead’s girls basketball team cruised to a 55-26 victory over Hudson, it may not have seemed all that special. It was the 13th time the Lady Eagles have walked off the court after the final buzzer sounded with a triumphant feeling, and they certainly hope not the last with a week still remaining in the regular season.
But with Springstead’s girls hoops program, there’s nothing pedestrian about this current 13-6 campaign. In the previous 39 seasons, dating back to 1976-77, the team has recorded that many wins only once, going 13-10 in 1990-91. Two seasons later, the Lady Eagles went 10-9, the only other time they have ever finished above .500. The last time they totaled double figures in victories was 2000-01.
At the center of the lineup stands 6-foot-2 senior Alyssa Clifton, enjoying her best season in what was already a solid prep career. “It’s going great,” Clifton said. “It’s going better than I ever expected. Everything is falling into place for us. We’re finally clicking. It takes some time. We had to adjust last year to the coaches and new players. Took some time to adjust, but we’re finally getting into the groove of things.
“It feels like finally the hard work has paid off. Everything I’ve been through, all the injuries, the long nights, it’s finally paying off.”
Prior to Friday night’s game against Mitchell, Clifton was averaging 15.6 points per game, along with 12.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks. As far as rebounding and blocks, that jives with her what she has done throughout her four years with the Lady Eagles. As a freshman she averaged 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, then improved to 12.8 boards and 2.4 blocks in a sophomore season limited to 13 games because of a broken foot.
Last season, Clifton pulled down 10.4 rebounds and swatted away 1.5 shots. She holds school records for career rebounds (706 before Friday’s action), career blocks (104), single-season blocks (46 this season) and single-game rebounds (24 against Ocala-Trinity Catholic as a sophomore). With 219 career rebounds before Friday, she was 19 away from that school mark, as well.
“It was pretty successful,” Clifton said of her first three seasons. “They were good years. It was like a work in progress. I was driving down the road and peaking around the corner. It was getting there. This year I turned that corner and I’m off that road, finally.
“It’s (her game) improved dramatically. I can’t even begin to explain. The rebounds have always been there. But my offense, I used to get points here and there. Now every time I touch the ball, I’m going to score. Defensively, I always got blocks. But my defense overall, protecting the paint, it has dramatically improved.”
Indeed, this year’s scoring average represents a career high by a wide margin. She had gradually gone up, from 5.9 to 7.6 to 9.1 each season, but this go-round she has taken it to another level. “I didn’t expect 15 points per game. I expected maybe 10-12 points per game,” Clifton said. “I’ve had at least four games above 20 points. I’ve never done that before.
“We’re just getting the ball in the post more. In the past, we’ve been an outside, perimeter team. My post skills have improved a lot. I’m able to catch the ball and score when I get the ball.”
Springstead coach Jay McNerney, in his second year as headman but an assistant under previous head coach George Bennett, confirmed the change in offensive philosophy that began last season. “It finally happened to where we got her where she needed to be. It’s been a long journey,” McNerney said. “It seemed like a light went on in practice and it was just a matter of tailoring the offense around her. Now the offense revolves around her.
“My strength is forwards and centers, and footwork and how to get the ball inside. Cause I was that guy. My whole thing is work inside-out.”
Paired with guard Reagan Huden, Clifton forces defenses to make a difficult decision to guard the paint or perimeter. McNerney also noted her improved footwork, enhanced spin move and greater confidence, both in herself and from her teammates. “When they saw she could dominate,” McNerney said, “everybody kind of fell in.”
McNerney also raved about Clifton’s intelligence and willingness to be coached, assets he believes will serve her well on the college level. She’ll decide on a school after the season, fulfilling a dream that began when she picked up the game in sixth grade and truly came into focus when she was a freshman.
She has certainly come a long way from her humble beginnings in the game, quieting doubters along the way. “I was bullied and told I would never be good at something,” Clifton said. “I found basketball to get my mind off things. I was good at it and now I’ll be going off to college soon.
“It means everything. Proving to all those haters, proving them wrong. It feels great. It hits you in the heart. It feels very satisfying knowing I proved all of them wrong.”
Still, there’s more to be done. When the Lady Eagles enter the Class 6A, District 8 Tournament in two weeks, they’ll hope to advance to regionals for the first time in program history.
“It feels amazing knowing it’s right there in front of us,” Clifton said. “We just need to win one game to get there. It’s so close. It’s within our grasp.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.
SPRINGSTEAD GIRLS BASKETBALL YEAR-BY-YEAR (1976-2015)
Year Record Head Coach
76-77 7-11 Cheryl Rennecker
77-78 1-12 Cheryl Rennecker
78-79 1-17 David Gibson
79-80 2-17 David Gibson
80-81 0-17 David Gibson
81-82 6-14 Ed Chester
82-83 1-23 Ed Chester
83-84 7-18 Ed Chester
84-85 5-15 Bill Meneely
85-86 3-21 Bill Meneely
86-87 2-16 Bill Meneely
87-88 9-13 Bill Meneely
88-89 0-19 Joel Myers
89-90 8-15 Joel Myers
90-91 13-10 Joel Myers
91-92 8-13 Ben Burnahan
92-93 10-9 Ed Chester
93-94 6-15 Ed Chester
94-95 9-15 Ed Chester
95-96 5-15 Ed Chester
96-97 4-17 Lionel Thornton
97-98 4-18 Lionel Thornton
98-99 3-17 Lionel Thornton
99-00 12-14 Lionel Thornton
00-01 11-15 Whit Campbell
01-02 6-16 Evelene Bennett
02-03 8-15 Evelene Bennett
03-04 4-19 Bill Meneely
04-05 0-19 Greg Linley
05-06 2-18 Greg Linley
06-07 3-18 Todd Toomer
07-08 4-22 Todd Toomer
08-09 6-17 Todd Toomer
09-10 0-20 Harriet Mason
10-11 8-16 Craig Swartout
11-12 5-19 George Bennett
12-13 9-16 George Bennett
13-14 7-16 George Bennett
14-15 9-13 Jay McNerney
TOTALS 208-630