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December 20, 2011

The art of execution

RP’s Dickey gets inspiration from unlikely source

Craig Pearson The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Riverton Parke junior point guard Sara Dickey has been hungry to help Riverton Parke girls basketball become a winner on the basketball floor. The 5-foot-10 Dickey has her Panthers ranked No. 7 in Class A with a 10-2 record so far this season.

The team a few miles up U.S. Highway 41 that has been making long runs in the state tournament caught her attention several years ago. That Turkey Run team that was dominating teams served as an inspiration.

Dickey and the Panthers picked up a few things from that team led by the Francis triplets.

“We learned how hard they play and how well they execute,” Dickey said. “Adrienne Francis has come to our games and some practices. She’s talked to us about never going down to anyone else’s level and playing as hard as we can.

“Our goal is to just go as far as we possibly can. Play as hard as we can.”

RP coach Josh Douglass has enjoyed the maturation process with his team. Douglass is getting scoring from many places this season, but a dedication to the defensive end has been the most integral advancement, he said. The Panthers are scoring 53 ppg, while allowing just 30.

“The biggest difference this year is our defense,” Douglass said. “We’re holding teams between 28 and 34 points. That helps tremendously. Nights when you struggle to shoot, you can rely on that.”

Dickey leads the way for the Panthers on both ends. Her length in the backcourt has helped her to averages of 3.1 steals and 1.4 blocks. On Friday against South Vermillion, she posted 21 points, five blocked shots and six steals that will bump those averages up.

“I’ve been working a lot harder on defense. Putting more pressure and getting up in their face,” said Dickey, who’s also leading the team with a 14.7 scoring average. She’s shooting just 61 percent at the free-throw line and 30 percent on 3-pointers — so there’s room for improvement.

Mackenzie Pollard and Dickey can both play the point, with Pollard leading the team with 36 assists to Dickey’s 31. Dickey’s 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio is what stands out to Douglass this season.

“Her ballhandling is significantly better,” Douglass said. “She averaged between three and four turnovers in previous years. This year, she’s not turning it over. They’re what I call good turnovers when they happen. They’re not those unforced turnovers. Maturity is the biggest thing. This team has really matured on the court.”

Paige Yando, Pollard, Sarah Burnham and Elizabeth Dickey — the senior sister of Sara — are all scoring more than six points per game.

“All seven players can hit 3-pointers,” said Douglass, while also mentioning Kori Wood and Sheldan Falls.

Developing skills in the offseason has been a priority for Douglass.

“The girls have been working extremely hard to get there. It’s been building the last couple years, and we’ve finally been able to turn the corner and get over the hump this year,” he said.

Confidence has grown during the maturation process, Dickey explained.

“We’ve all gotten a lot better individaully. We’ve also matured a lot so we know how to handle things out there,” she said.

The Panthers will have a chance to face some strong teams in the Toby Yoho Tournament at Eastern Greene following Christmas. They’ll play South Knox and Eastern Greene.

“It’s good postseason preparation. Good competition. Show our weaknesses so we can build on it,” Douglass said. “It’s quality team time with the girls too.  This team really likes to be around eachother.”

By the time postseason time comes around, the Panthers will be in the position Turkey Run has been in the past — the team everyone else is gunning for in the sectional.

“It’s really exciting. We’re really confident going into sectionals, but we’re not taking any team lightly. We prepare a lot for every single team,” Dickey said.

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