Senior guard Lily Howe helped lead Greenwood to a 14-11 record and a berth in the sectional championship game last season.
Daily Journal file photo
Lily Howe’s offensive repertoire doesn’t span the generations as much as it combines them.
Greenwood’s 5-foot-5 guard is capable of producing points from just beyond the 3-point stripe, beneath the basket and pretty much most places in between.
The senior is a throwback in a sense, given the fact she possesses a mid-range game.
“Growing up, I’ve always been shorter, so I learned I had to be aggressive to be a good basketball player in general,” said Howe, the team’s second-leading scorer (9.2 points per game) a year ago behind since-graduated Quinn Kelly.
“I really try to bring to the team good passing and getting people to score off of their own cuts. If I see a player who makes a good cut, I’m going to get it to them.”
Howe primarily plays point guard, though she’s versatile enough to play the 2 or 3. She finished last season second on the team in both steals and assists and third in rebounds, and also made good on 11 of her 3-point attempts.
“We feel Lily is really important to what we do,” fifth-year Woodmen coach Justin Bennett said. “She leads by example, doesn’t say a lot and plays hard at both ends of the floor.
“Her perimeter shooting is very important for us, and I don’t think she gets enough credit for being crafty around the basket.”
Howe had eight double-figure outings as a junior, with a best of 21 points in a 46-45 loss to Indian Creek. Her knack for drawing contact sent her to the charity stripe 82 times on the year, and she made good on 61 (74.4%).
She also takes pride in playing lockdown defense — a prerequisite for remaining on the floor for Bennett, whose program is coming off a 14-11 season in which it permitted opponents an average of 38.7 points.
“It’s about being someone who has no fear of getting beat,” Howe said of her defensive mindset.
Bennett estimates the Woodmen will incorporate man-to-man defense 90% of the time, with some zone and trapping mixed in.
Greenwood begins its season at home Nov. 3 against Greenfield-Central before playing its first road game two days later at Bloomington North.
“I feel like we can be even better than last year,” Howe said. “Our practices have been so good. Our energy is so positive.”
The Woodmen’s high-water mark was five victories in Bennett’s first three seasons as coach, a reality that made last year’s turnaround all the sweeter.
Seniors Emily Metzger (4.3 ppg) and Ella Stivers (3.8) return as well. Sophomore point guard Keyara Johnson underwent surgery after tearing her ACL over the summer but is expected back sometime in December.
“Every year brings new challenges, and we have to work twice as hard to be as good as we were last year,” Bennett said. “We can’t sneak up on anyone. It’s going to have to be a total team effort, starting with the defense.”
A philosophy Howe and her teammates embraced a long time ago.
