Meet the Enquirer 2015-16 All-City girls hoop team
Meet the 2015-16 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Girls Basketball Team. The 2015-16 Battle Creek Enquirer All-City Girls Basketball Team is made up of players from the five city schools and is selected by the city coaches and the Enquirer sports staff.
Lakeview's Bussler leads All-City girls hoop team
Tamera Gills
Battle Creek Central
An up-and-coming player, Gills took a big step in her high school career with a big junior season as she became a leader on and off the court for the Bearcats as they went 4-17 on the season.
Gills, at 5-foot-6, averaged 9.5 points per game, 3.5 assists per game and 2.8 steals while matching the school record for most assists in a single game with seven as well as being an honorable mention selection on the all-league team in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division.
“Tamera is a very competitive player. You can always find her in a gym working on her game. She really stepped up her leadership role this season," BCC coach Patrick Johnson said.
BCC's Crum leads All-City boys basketball team
Meet the 2015-16 Enquirer All-City Boys Basketball Team
Jamesha Smith
Battle Creek Central
Smith was a standout senior and a key leader on a Battle Creek Central team that went 4-17 on the season. A 5-foot-8 senior center, Smith set the school record for most blocks in a season and most blocks in a single game.
Smith averaged 10 points per game, 9.4 rebounds and five blocks a game and was voted the Bearcats’ team MVP as well as earning first-team all-league honors in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division.
“At only 5-foot-8, Jamesha played a lot bigger than her size. She is getting looked at by a couple schools and she broke the record for blocks in a season for us," Johnson said.
Charley Andrews
Harper Creek
An athletic forward, Charley Andrews continued her impressive high school career with a big junior season for Harper Creek as she helped the Beavers to a 17-6 record.
Andrews averaged 12.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and had 39 blocks on the season and earned all-league honors in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division as well as being named team MVP.
“A great playmaker and leading scorer. Able to create off the dribble well and has great jumping ability - extremely athletic. Works hard and very competitive,” Harper Creek coach Terri Tchorzynski said.
Jacey Bowers
Harper Creek
A key player for the Beavers during her junior season, Bowers was a contributor from the outside, while also being able to handle the ball from her guard position as she helped Harper Creek to a 17-6 season.
Bowers averaged eight points per game and 2.1 assists per game as well as getting honorable mention on the all-league team in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division.
“Jacey had a great outside shot and can create off the dribble well. Very consistent scorer and strong defender. Great court vision and develops scoring opportunities for teammates,” Tchorzynski said.
Olivia Leson
Harper Creek
As Harper Creek’s key player in the post, Leson was an important part of the Beavers’ 17-6 season as she controlled the paint and was solid on defense.
Leson had a big senior season for Harper Creek as she averaged eight points per game and six rebounds a contest as well as getting honorable mention on the all-league team in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division.
“Very strong inside game and also has a great outside shot. She uses her body well to get rebounds and create scoring opportunities for herself and teammates,” Tchorzynski said.
Ava Cook
Lakeview
As a junior, Cook was a second-year starter for Lakeview and a key player for the Spartans in their run to back-to-back Class A district titles for the first time in school history. Cook helped Lakeview to a 15-8 season with her good all-around play.
Cook finished as Lakeview’s leading scorer at 12 points per game and top assist player at 3.5 and was named all-league in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division as well as being named team MVP.
“Ava is a tremendous athlete and is very dynamic on the court. She flies up and down the court at a blistering pace and is as tough as nails. She is also one of our best one the ball defenders. She is also an excellent rebounding guard,” Lakeview coach Don Bussler said.
Emily Eldridge
Lakeview
A three-year varsity player, Eldridge had a breakout year as a junior as she helped Lakeview to a 15-8 season and back-to-back district titles in Class A for the first time in school history.
Eldridge averaged a double-double with 10.5 points and 11 rebounds for the Spartans and was named all-league in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division as well as being named team MVP.
“Emily has really taken a huge step with her improvement to her skill set this season. She was our team leader on and off the court. She was a much improved player this season,” Bussler said.
Chloe McAllister
Lakeview
Coming in as a transfer from Marshall, McAllister became a starter for Lakeview as soon as she became eligible in helping the Spartans make a late run to a district title in Class A.
Giving Lakeview good outside shooting, McAllister helped Lakeview to a 15-8 season by averaging 11.5 points per game and steals at 2.5, while shooting a team-high 45-percent from the 3-point line and was named all-league in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division as well as being named best defender for the Spartans.
“As soon as she became eligible, she became an instant starter for us and was second on the team in scoring. She is also one of our top defenders. She can really shoot it and drive it,” Bussler said.
Naomi Davis
Pennfield
As one of the top outside shooters in the area, Davis had a big sophomore season as the starting point guard for a Pennfield team that went 9-12 on the season.
Davis, an honorable mention selection on the all-league team in the Interstate 8 Conference, averaged 8.4 points per game, 2.4 steals and shot 43-percent from the 3-point line with 41 triples.
“Naomi ran the show for us. On the season she averaged less than two turnovers a game which is outstanding. Plus, she was the best 3-point shooter in the conference and one of the best in the state. Naomi was also one of our most active defenders,” Pennfield coach Dic Doumanian said.
Claire LeRoux
Pennfield
A leader on a young Pennfield team, LeRoux helped the Panthers to a 9-12 season as a sophomore while earning all-league honors in the Interstate 8 Conference.
LeRoux, a 5-foot-6 guard, had 10.8 points per game, 2.9 steals and 2.3 rebounds.
“Claire is our best all-around player who can do a lot of things at both ends of the court. She played better and better as the season progressed which was great to see, and she is only a sophomore so her future is very bright,” Doumanian said.
Megan Gordon
St. Philip
A key senior on a St. Philip team that went 16-6 on the season, Gordon has been a key member for the Tigers during their recent run of success while she’s been on varsity.
Gordon, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 10 points per game, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals as she also earned first-team honors in the Southern Central Athletic Association and was voted team MVP.
“Megan seeks precision, refinement and mastery, and excels in all that she does which is evident in her athletic and academic achievements. Megan has a quick, smooth first step, and does a good job mixing up her speed to keep defenders off balance,” St. Philip coach Tony Warren said.
Kameron Haley
St. Philip
Haley, a 5-foot-5 junior, continued to excel in her second year as a starter for the Tigers and helped the team to a 16-6 record.
As the team’s leading scorer, Haley was a key player in the post for the Tigers as she averaged 13 points per game, seven rebounds and three steals as she earned second-team all-league honors in the SCAA and was voted best competitor on her team.
“Kameron has exceptional footwork and she is capable of finishing through contact with both hands. Kameron excels at ducking in the paint where she is capable of making a variety of low post moves,” Warren said.
HONORABLE MENTION
Faith Hayes (Harper Creek), Nina Winkler (St. Philip), Jessica Roan (Pennfield), England Bennett (BCC), Alyssa Miller (BCC)
Contact Bill Broderick (269) 966-0678 or bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick