Lakeland girls varsity basketball 2019 season was an overall successful one, finishing the long but fun season with 18-8 record.

On this season, Coach Brian Phillips said, “We exceeded all of our expectations from the start of the season.” Coach Phillips reported to the Ledger, “We were not sure how we were going to be since we were trying to replace all of the graduated players.” Five varsity seniors graduated, only leaving two players coming back with significant varsity experience.

However, the overall season played out with the team winning the conference, advancing to the county semi-finals and making it to the second round of the state tournament.

According to Coach Phillips, “Some of the key players from this years team were seniors Allison McBride and Ashley Davison, junior Keira Marks, and sophomore Kaitlyn Collins.”

McBride, one of the captains of the team, has been a starter all 4 years of her career. Phillips shares, “Allie provided the team with inside scoring and rebounding, averaging 10 points and 12 rebounds a game.”

Davison really stepped up as a leader this year, bring named a captain in her first year starting. She helped the team with her “strong rebounding and tough defense.”

Marks, also a captain, “was a leader in most statistical categories for us this season, including scoring (15 points a game), assists (3 a game), and steals (3 a game),” Coach Phillips reports. “Marks also reached a personal milestone this year, scoring her 1000th point in her career.”

Collins stepped up as being the a reliable scorer and often asked to guard the other team’s best player. Collins told the Ledger that she would describe the season “as very fun… We all became close friends and grew as a team.”

Coach Phillips also credits senior Lila Spitz, junior Cory Sahans, sophomores Alie Barna and Ally Downey and freshman Cameron Unger for being instrumental to the successful season.

From the team’s perspective, the season overall  was “one of the best,” according to McBride.

The Lancer Ledger is very proud of the girls varsity basketball team and excited for next season.