Edinburgh’s girls basketball team includes one senior, which means five juniors will be expected to do assume leadership responsibilities.
Haven Link is all right with the extra work.
Link, a guard/forward, is one of four starters returning from a squad that posted a 10-14 record — the Lancers’ best mark since the 2010-11 season. As a sophomore, she averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds.
One way Link is setting an example for teammates is by readily accepting change.
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Used primarily as a shooting guard a year ago — Link was 15 of 62 from behind the 3-point stripe — her 5-foot-6 frame will, at times, be positioned closer to the basket to help give Edinburgh a more formidable interior presence.
“My whole life I’ve always played down low, so working as a post is not too difficult for me,” Link said. “Since elementary school, I’ve worked on all of it, so it’s not a big difference for me.”
Link scored between 6 and 16 points in all but five of Edinburgh’s games last season. Her consistency extended to crashing the boards, as shown by her career-high 10 rebounds in a loss to Oldenburg Academy and three other occasions when she contributed nine.
The junior also finished second on the team in assists and third in steals.
Sixth-year Lancers coach Amy Macy-Schilling expects more from Link this season, which begins Nov. 2 at Indianapolis Metropolitan.
“As a freshman, she had upperclassmen to help her. Last year we were expecting even more out of her as a sophomore. This year I hope it to be her year as far as leadership and developing her game,” Macy-Schilling said. “I think Haven’s a unique player in that she can play inside and out.
“This summer we worked more on playing inside as well as the outside shot. Hopefully, she gains confidence in herself because I think that was one thing she was lacking last year.”
Edinburgh’s lone senior is shooting guard Sidney Beier, who is coming off a year in which she averaged 8.6 points. Her return, along with that of junior guard Destiney Ramey (12.3 ppg), Link, sophomore Annelise Lollar (5.1) and others have the Lancers thinking a double-digit victory total for a second consecutive season.
The Lancers haven’t accomplished that since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 campaigns.
“Oh, I definitely think we can,” Link said. “If we’re in the gym every day and giving it our best, I think we’re going to accomplish a lot more this year than we ever have before.”
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Coach: Amy Macy-Schilling
Last season: 10-14, lost to Trinity Lutheran in sectional semifinal
Top returnees: Sidney Beier, senior; Haven Link and Destiney Ramey, juniors; Anneliese Lollar, sophomore
Key newcomers: Paige Burton, Kaylia Kelley, Destini Myers and Abby Schooler, juniors; Malkia Willard, sophomore; Bethany Burton, Alyssa Funkhouser and Callie Hancock, freshmen
What to expect: The Lancers return enough experience to possibly be a factor in the Mid-Hoosier Conference. Ramey is back after leading Edinburgh in scoring last season and looks to team with Beier, Link and Lollar to form a strong nucleus. The 50.8 points the Lancers averaged last season were their most in recent memory.
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Which gym is your favorite — or least favorite — to play in, and why?
"Whiteland is my favorite. It’s bigger and you have more people there watching you. My least favorite has to be Southwestern."
Which team not on your schedule would you most want to play?
"Indian Creek, because we’ve never really beaten them, or teams I’ve been on haven’t beaten them. I would like to get the chance and try."
Which player that we might not know about is likely to have a breakout season?
"Kaylia Kelley works really hard in practice and gives it her all. She’s improved so much since she started playing basketball. She’s tough. She gets in there and does her job."
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