2009 Sherwood Park Shootout
Page 2
by Jim Charles & Tom Dunn
February 2009
The Courtney Wallace Interview
ESPN wanted her. Sports Illustrated came calling. Even 60 Minutes wanted to do a story on her. But she refused every offer. That is, until DelawareGirlsBasketball.com came along. We're proud to present this awesome and exclusive "up close and personal" chat with UA's Courtney Wallace.
Courtney is an 11 year old 6th grader who plays on the UA JV (5th/6th grade) team in the St. E's League. She is a former iPOW winner (during the 2008 AAU season). She is also a gifted point guard with a future as bright as a comet.
We caught up with her right after her team won a 30 - 27 game against Holy Angels in overtime (game pics below). This victory propels Ursuline to the JV Division Tournament Title Game.
Her answers are presented verbatim - exactly how she answered each question.
DGB: Describe what it's like playing in the Sherwood Park Shootout.
Courtney: I think it’s a lot more fun because you get to see all your friends and you’re competing for something, unlike the regular season.
DGB: You've played Holy Angels at least twice in the St. E's League already, so you must know them pretty well. As the game went on and you saw how close the score was, what did you think your team had to do to win?
Courtney: I think we had to box out more because we’re not doing too well in that, but we kept our attitude up, so we did pretty well.
DGB: What did winning this game tonight mean to you?
Courtney: It meant a lot because we’ve lost to them more than we’ve won so it’s been great.
DGB: You play with a court knowledge of a really good 8th grader. What or who do you credit for getting you where you are today as a player?
Courtney: My dad, because he teaches me a lot of stuff, and my coach from last year, Mr. Payne, because he helps me improve my game a lot.
DGB: I remember watching your current Ursuline coach, Kelly Mark, play when she was in high school. What's it like playing for her?
Courtney: It’s great because she’s really nice and fun and she’s a really good coach.
Semi-Final Round Action
JV Division
Ursuline 30, Holy Angels 27 (OT)
Micah Morgan goes up strong for the Angels. Kodi Raymond defends for UA.
Renada L'Italien sets the table for the Holy Angels' offense. She had 4 points for the Angels.
The game would feature LOTS of physical moments. Here, UA's Kodi Raymond tries to protect the ball from Holy Angels players Micah Morgan and Abby Dean.
Maddie Hughes had us saying over and over again, "Who's that girl?!? Who's that girl?!?"
She was one of THE scrappiest players in the whole tournament. She also contributed 4 points to the cause.
Renada L'Italien passes to Caroline Davis.
Miranda Schiccatano of UA lines up her free-throw. She paced Ursuline's offense with 12 points.
Everyone knows there's a shortage in Delaware of good forwards with height, right? Well, go tell it to Caroline Davis and Carolanne Deal. Davis accounted for 12 of her team's 27 points.
Although only 6th graders, area high school coaches should add these two to their lists of players to keep an eye on.
Ursuline's Courtney Wallace might have to look up to every player on the court, but MANY of them look up to her for the abundance of talent she possesses. Wallace had 10 points in the game.
In yet a third photo, we see Holy Angels' great playmaker, Rendada L'Italien.
Semi-Final Round Action
Varsity Division
Holy Angels 43, Ursuline 25
I first saw Rebecca Peet back in the Spring of 2006 playing AAU ball on a 10U team. At the time, it struck me how she always played with such heart and determination. Today, Peet still brings those same qualities to every on-court minute. Oh yeah, and a whole lot of talent, too!
This may look like a free-throw attempt, but it's not. This is a live action shot by Leigh Ann Lennon. UA's Hannah Gladnick (#12) throws an arm up to defend while Erin Joyce (#23) races to the scene. The reason this looks so much like a foul shot owes much to the disciplined shooting form of Lennon. Hannah Gladnick had 6 points off of 2 three-pointers.
UA's Kaitlyn Carney. Here's a player that brings so much to every game. Unselfish with the ball to a fault, we only wish she'd shoot the ball a little more often. She went 2-for-4 from the free-throw line, however.
Haley Schweizer at the stripe.
Former iPOW winner, Sabrina Hackendorn is helped off the court after rolling an ankle. She had 9 points on the night.
Maddy Waegle catches serious air!
Haley Schweizer going for the layup. She led her team with 10 points.
Claudia Seemans shoots a technical. She ended up with 6 points on the night, and an immaculate 4-for-4 performance from the foul line. Guess she was the right choice for the technical!
Late in the game with the result pretty much secure, Leigh Ann Lennon shows her happiness. She had 6 points on the night.