Coaches Pick Top Five

By Rob Potter
April 4, 2000 -- We have already taken a look at Western Sullivan league (WSL) co-MVPs Becky Evans of Roscoe and Dorthel Seibles of Livingston Manor. We continue today with the first team selection and we’ll take a look at the second team picks in Friday’s paper.

Danielle Austin
Roscoe • Junior • Forward
Austin was the lone junior in the Lady Blue Devil starting lineup and played a big role in the team’s march to league and sectional titles.
She averaged 12.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and three steals per game.
“Danielle has a beautiful outside jump shot, probably the best one on the team,” noted Roscoe coach Becky Ahart. “She is also quite a force inside. She was able to grab offensive rebounds and put the ball right back up and in.”
Austin, who was the Western Sullivan League girls’ soccer MVP last fall and a second-team basketball all-star the past two seasons, will be counted on even more as a senior.
“She will be the nucleus of the team next year,” Ahart commented.


Beth Fanning
Jeff-Y • Senior • Forward
It is tough to imagine how the Lady Trojan season would have gone without Fanning, who was a first-team all-star in her sophomore and junior seasons and earned second-team status as a freshman.
She averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 3.3 steals per game. To put her contributions into perspective, she scored 34 percent of the J-Y points and grabbed 26 percent of the squad’s rebounds during the 1999-2000 season.
And she reached the 1,000-point mark in a February 26 victory over Liberty.
“She did everything for us this year,” J-Y coach Ron Bernhardt said of his niece, who finished her brilliant varsity career with 1,026 points. “With the other four starters from last year’s team gone, she was a marked person. But she shouldered the burden well.”
Bernhardt also praised Fanning’s competitive spirit and defensive prowess.
“She’s a complete player and a team leader,” he said. “I don’t know how I’ll replace her in the lineup.”

Liz Hubert
Del. Valley • Senior • Forward
DV coach Patti Roche noted that Hubert, a four-year varsity player, was “a real leader for us.”
“She struggled a bit offensively at times this season, but defensively she was right on target,” Roche noted. “She also grabbed a lot of rebounds and contributed in whatever way we needed her to.”
Hubert averaged 9.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals a game. She reached double figures in scoring in 11 of 20 contests for the Lady Eagles.
“Liz was a veteran varsity player,” Roche added. “Her aggressiveness and teamwork were qualities that benefitted our team, especially our younger players.”


Mary Kate Johnston
Roscoe• Senior • Guard
As team captain and point guard, Johnston was a key player for the Lady Blue Devils’ championship squad.
Johnston, who was a second-team all star last season, netted 7.3 points per game to go along with 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 rebounds.
“No question about it, she was our floor leader,” said Roscoe Coach Becky Ahart. “She’s been a varsity player for six years and one who will be tough to replace.”
Ahart praised Johnston for being a motivator, knowing when to settle down the flow of a game and her teammates and just when to increase the tempo.
“She was even able to go in among the taller players and grab a couple of rebounds each game,” Ahart commented.

April Nash
Tri-Valley • Senior • Forward
Although a severe ankle sprain caused her to miss the last three games of the season, Nash had an outstanding campaign.
T-V coach Karen Furman noted that Nash, who was a second-team selection for both the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, was “an all-around leader for us.”
“Until her injury, April led the team in just about every substantial category,” Furman said. “She was first in scoring (14.9 points/game), steals (58 total), assists (48) and blocked shots (18). And she was second in rebounding with 6.5 per game.”
Nash was a varsity player for four years and set school records for points scored (913) and three-point shots made (107).
“She has a terrific outside shot and she took the ball to the basket more this year,” Furman added. “We will miss her a lot next year.”