By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
Following another strong season that saw them raise their win total from 12 to 17, the Bennington girls basketball team will look to take the next step in 2023-24
Tracy Piepho returns to the helm for a third season as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs.
With a strong stable of veteran returners, the Bennington faithful will see several familiar faces in a lineup that should look something like this come tip-off.
G- Rori Miles (Jr)
G- Tambryn Watson (Sr)
G- Taleigh Watson (So) or Jordan Bartlett (So)
F- Talyn Jilka (Sr)
C- Ava Lawson (Sr)
The Lady Bulldogs will also look to the bench for big minutes out of Khloe Dossett, Alyssa Wolff, Addyson Gillett, and Madison Simmons.
Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, we had a chance to catch up with Coach Piepho and get his thoughts on this year’s squad.
Q: When you had a chance to look back on it, what were your overall thoughts on last season?
A: Last year was a whirlwind. We don’t talk about winning and losing much in our program, but about improving every day and taking what we work on in practice and transferring it to our games. No one knows everything we went through with sickness and injuries, but we persevered, and we learned how to “handle hard better,” a life lesson the girls can take with them when they’re graduated and done playing basketball. I was extremely proud of all their individual and team accomplishments, and we were one step away from making the State Tournament.
Q: Entering this year, what would you say are the biggest known strengths of your team?
A: Our defense is something we pride ourselves on, and teams know that we will guard 93 feet and fight to the end. We return a physical bunch with good leadership, and our schedule gives us no nights off and will prepare us for postseason play which we see as a strength.
Q: What are the biggest looming questions or challenges that you’ll look to sort out in these first few weeks?
A: We need to increase our average scoring per game and our bench will need to provide depth and more production than last year. Will our sophomores take the next step and provide more rebounding, and scoring while still playing tough defense? Who will step up and solidify their place as a starter or coming off the bench? And how long will it take for the girls to learn the new system and their new roles?
Q: What are the biggest goals and expectations for this group heading into the new season?
A: We would like to make it back to the sub-state championship and move on to the state tournament, but that’s a long time away. Our HOA League is no joke, and our league teams will push each other every night. We will need to have some things go our way again this year if we want to repeat last year’s successes.
The Lady Bulldogs open their season in Bennington with a home game against Sylvan this Friday.