by UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH– In the first annual Pink Power Preview, the North Ridgeville Rangers and the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish squared off on Mike Moran Court at John Carroll University. The Irish looked well-balanced in a 34-17 victory Saturday night.
They are coached by Carley Whitney, a 2007 alumni, who has been leading the program since 2014. She was also a big-time athlete, playing soccer, softball, and of course basketball. Her squad finished 18-5 last season and managed a playoff win. The team certainly appeared hungry to get back on the floor but, definitely to return to the postseason and make some noise.
Even though it was a scrimmage, the intensity of which the Irish played with was infectious basketball. Everyone on the floor contributed on the defensive end by breaking up passes, switching relentlessly, and getting into the jerseys of the Rangers’ ball handlers. Nine out 10 players scored, proving how unselfish this team is.
Junior Erica King led the team in scoring with five.
On the North Ridgeville side, 15-year veteran Amy Esser leads the way. She has been entrenched in basketball for most of her life. Even when she was in college, her passion for the game could not be contained. Esser was a part of the Bay Village coaching staff while she attended John Carroll.
She was a college hooper for the Blue Streaks, so that was a special moment for her last night to be back on campus.
“It means a little bit extra to me… so to be able to coach on the floor I played on is a little extra special.”
Unfortunately for Esser’s Rangers they were not able to get into a rhythm offensively. Only two players managed to score. Junior Brooke Lime got her two points from the free throw line. The brightest star for North Ridgeville was another junior, Grace Kingery. Even with a gritty defensive challenge she still dropped in buckets.
Kingery led all scorers with 15 on 6-9 from the field. Her ability to shoot from anywhere and create opportunities for herself makes her a real force and someone to watch this upcoming season.
Coach Esser mentioned that the youth showed and was a major reason why the team struggled. “We got a little out of sync to start… I think the nerves. We got a lot of young kids out there that didn’t play a lot of minutes last year… That combination of game-like experience on a college floor and getting out the cobwebs… but we’ll get there.”
A key player out is Laney Rumancik, who tore her ACL and is a senior guard and floor general for this squad. With Kingery looking like the focal point even more so this season, Esser is optimistic that she can take that next leap.
“I think for Grace it’s hard cause she has to find that balance of when she has to rely on her teammates. I think she sometimes puts it on her shoulders too much… [but] she is ready to make a statement this year.”
