Demon girls? hoops focused on cohesion

It?s a fresh start for the Washington girls? basketball team, but it almost seems like a déjà vu.

For the second straight season, the Demon girls? program will have a new head coach on the sidelines, but coming off a tough season, the biggest change the team is seeing could be coming from themselves.

?Our chemistry as a team has improved,? Washington senior forward Addie Pacha said. ?A lot of us that are on varsity this year played on the AAU summer team, so that, combined with staying in touch, has made us a much more cohesive unit.?

With that chemistry, the Demon seniors are looking to bring positive momentum to the team, as they look to rebound from a 6-16 season.

?Us seniors are trying to be good leaders and we want to include everyone,? Pacha said. ?It helps us on the court, because I know Morgan (Kimball) is going to be in a certain spot, so I can pass the ball and trust that my teammates will be there.?

That cohesion will come under new head coach Jordan Bentley, who has six years of girls? basketball coaching experience, spending time at Turkey Valley and West Marshall before coming to Washington.

One of the things he hopes to be a part of is instilling the legacy that the seniors want to leave.

?That was something we talked about with the seniors,? Bentley said. ?Obviously, we want to win more games, but we asked them what they want to leave when they are done here. You guys will be the first year of a new change and a new philosophy. Their leadership will need to be the legacy.?

Pacha had a strong junior season, working as Washington?s main post threat, averaging five points and 4.6 rebounds per game, as well as blocking 15 shots last season.

Coming into her final season as a Demon, the senior has simple goals in mind to help her improve this year.

?I want to work a lot more with my right hand,? Pacha said. ?I want to keep rebounding the ball and improve my ball-handling skills, because that?s something I think I need work on. I?d like to try to continue to improve my percentages inside the paint.?

Pacha will be joined by senior guards Amber Salow (8 points, 1.5 assists per game) and Morgan Kimball (5.3 points, 2.3 steals per game), sophomore guard Sarah Nacos (6.7 points, 1.4 assists per game) and junior Lexi Redlinger, who was a strong contributor to the junior varsity team a season ago.

With a strong core of guards, that favors the offensive philosophy that Bentley has already began to install with the Demons: running it up and down the court.

?We?ve seen in practice how quickly we can get up and down the floor,? Bentley said. ?I heard one of the girls say that we are playing a lot faster this year, and that was my goal. I want an up-tempo style, especially if we have more guards and less posts.?

However, that doesn?t mean Bentley is going to forget about getting the ball inside.

?Our guards need to understand that we want to get touches (to Pacha) on the inside,? Bentley said. ?Those are high-percentage shots for us.?

One of the flaws of the Demon basketball team last season were many cold shooting performances at critical times during games.

After looking at last year?s team, Bentley is hoping to erase that last season.

?Shot selection is something I saw from some of the game film,? Bentley said. ?(We want to take) better shots and shots within the offense and understand what the defense is giving us. We also need to play good defense this year.?

With the Demons working on getting their skills honed for the regular season, which begins on Nov. 23 against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, they are going to keep the mood positive on the court.

?We want to create a positive legacy for Washington girls? basketball,? Pacha said. ?We need to have a positive attitude. We can?t have negativity, because attitude is everything. If you dream it, you can do it.?