Defensive-minded Corsica-Stickney Jaguars back in the B's
Mar. 10—HURON — Corsica-Stickney's road was a little bumpy, but the final destination was the same.
The Jaguars are playing in their third consecutive state basketball tournament and are again among the favorites. But this year's trip to state took a turn on Jan. 21 when sophomore all-stater Avery Broughton suffered a season-ending knee injury.
"They decided to do it for her and to do it for the team," said Corsica-Stickney coach Lorisa Broughton, who is Avery's mother. "The team has always been what's important to us. So it pulls you together even better."
The Jaguars (21-2) rattled off 11 straight wins after Broughton's injury to earn the No. 3 seed in the State B girls state tournament, which starts Thursday at the Huron Arena. Corsica-Stickney plays No. 6 Herreid/Selby Area (20-3) at 7 p.m. in the first round.
While they've been without Broughton for half of the season, Corsica-Stickney's defense has continued to be its calling card. The Jaguars feature a versatile and lengthy lineup that suffocates their opponents up and down the court.
"We've really stressed that and especially since Avery went out, we had to pick up defense in a couple different areas," Broughton said. "We've always kind of just thought Avery is in there to protect the rim and we don't have that as much now. So everybody has had to pick up their defense and their rebounding."
Senior Raven Barse, a 5-foot-11 forward, keys the defense with 16 blocks and 46 steals. She averages 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while leading in another category: leadership.
"Raven has taken on the role of more the leader out there and that's not really what she likes to be," Broughton said. "She's more of a quiet, laid back person, but she's done a good job of being a leader with how she's playing and how aggressive she's been."
Five-foot-10 junior forward Rachel Gerlach posts 11.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. She's recorded 31 steals on defense. Senior guard Morgan DeLange (7.9 ppg/3 rpg) and junior guard Morgan Clites (7 ppg/3.5 rpg) are also starters.
Depending on the matchup, senior Lauren Bruinsma and sophomore Payton DeLange have taken turns starting in Broughton's place.
"Payton has really come around a lot more than I expected after Avery went out," Broughton said. "From the offensive standpoint, she's getting some points on the board. We kind of needed that and she's feisty and gets in there and gets some boards. Lauren, she's just given me good defense. I knew having her out there would help on the defensive end of it."
The Jaguars finished third in the 2019 state tournament and won their 2020 tourney opener before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Jaguars defeated the Wolverines, 64-53, on Feb. 12 at the DWU/Culver's Classic. Corsica-Stickney used a quick start to fuel the 11-point victory and its defense held off a late HSA rally.
"It's definitely something we've been stressing these last couple of days," Broughton said. "They've got such a good combination of inside and outside game, that we really have to be watching our defensive transitions and covering. It's a big focus right now."
