HOOPS PREVIEW: North Callaway girls want to take next step in competing

By Jeremy Jacob, Sports Editor
Posted 11/30/22

North Callaway girls basketball isn’t certain how the early season will go this year but is sure it will be tough to beat later in the year.

Head coach Tim Turlington enters his second year …

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HOOPS PREVIEW: North Callaway girls want to take next step in competing

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North Callaway girls basketball isn’t certain how the early season will go this year but is sure it will be tough to beat later in the year.

Head coach Tim Turlington enters his second year leading the program and noticed the Ladybirds were further along in their development than last year during the second week of practice. He said he hopes this will lead to an improvement of the 11-14 season – a six-win increase and most in three seasons – from a year ago as many of the key players are returning.

“(Sophomore) Natalie Shryock and (junior) Riley Blevins both started and so did (senior) Jalyn Leible, (senior) Ellie Bedsworth and (junior) Abrielle Burgher,” Turlington said. “Those five all started at different points of the season. They’ve all started multiple games. The girls know me and know what we’re doing and what we like to do.”

Shryock was North Callaway’s leading scorer as a freshman, garnering Eastern Missouri Conference and all-district team honors for her 11 points per game, 41 percent shooting from the floor and 43 percent clip from 3-point territory. Blevins, in her first season after transferring from Mexico, followed with 8.2 points per game and brings back the most steals from last year at a 2.5 average that earned her all-conference and all-district nods.

Speaking of steals, the Ladybirds made a habit of forcing turnovers to turn them into points, averaging 12.7 steals per game. This led to a 41 points per game average, which is the most in three years, and an opponents scoring average of 41.3, which is the lowest for a North Callaway girls team in six seasons. The defense needs some work to get back to the level Turlington likes it as the Ladybirds graduated two of their top three steal leaders in Ryelle Schmauch and Kyanne Kellerman.

“I think we got a fair amount of quickness. We can shoot the ball at times,” Turlington said. “Defense is not really exactly where I would like for it to be, but it’s coming. The way I would like them to play, we are working hard on it every day. That consistency is what you need.”

Sophomores Lakyn Hartley, Faith Cash and Lia Bondurant are expected to have bigger roles this season as they step up to varsity, Turlington said, and so will junior Lauren Riecke. The junior played some varsity minutes last year and will be expected to play “heavy minutes” this year based on how well she has been “seeing things.”

Turlington said having all these girls in the fold will be important to fill out a “solid” team if North Callaway wants to compete for a conference title this season. Montgomery County has won three straight Eastern Missouri Conference titles and only graduated one senior from a year ago so the Ladybirds know it should be another battle.

“We played them tough the first time and not quite as tough the second time in districts,” Turlington said. “We’re going over there (this season). Right now, until somebody beats them, they’re No. 1 in our conference.”

North Callaway began last season 3-11 but turned it around by winning six straight games. That streak was broken after a 10-point loss at home to Montgomery County.

Turlington said he and the girls need to be patient and confident both offense and defense will reach levels that allow them to compete to the best of their ability. These Ladybirds make Turlington think that they will be playing well after December again and also makes him believe a good run of basketball is just beginning as 22 girls are in the program this year, which is the most Turlington said it has had in a long time.

“These girls are just good girls,” Turlington said. “They want to do well. It’s not like they’re out there messing up on purpose. They want to do it for each other and themselves, for their community and for their school, and I love coaching them. This is the best part of my day – coaching these girls.”


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