CHOCOWINITY — Replacing a center that averaged a double-double for an entire season is never easy, but Southside is hoping that with the right amount of effort and teamwork it can be done.
Gone is former WDN All-Area post player DeAndria Purdue, but in her place are two sturdy forwards and a roster with plenty of potential.
“We lost our really big dominant player in DeAndria Purdue, but we can build and let other people do things,” Southside coach Bill Lake said. “Without her we need to be more team-orientated, especially on defense.”
Looking to fill the void in the paint left by Purdue will be forwards Kyajia Mourning and Tia Hardy, whom both have good size and athleticism.
Surrounding them will be guards Takeyra Harris and Breana Blango, along with forward Angelica Tisdale and sixth-man Arleyah Cobb.
Blango is capable of putting up points thanks to her soft shooting touch, while the scrappy Harris can create fastbreak buckets with her quick hands on defense.
Tisdale is perhaps the most athletic player on the team, and on any given night is capable of big things on both sides of the ball.
“We have Kyajia back, who rehabbed her knee and has gotten a lot stronger and is a force in the middle with Tia,” Lake said. “We got Breana Blango back and she is an excellent shooter. If she gets a little confidence she can really get going.
“Angelica is very quick and if she can keep herself under control she can be a big help.
“Takeyra is probably the scrappiest player I have seen in this area in a while. She will dive after everything and give 110 percent.”
With the absence of a true back-to-the-basket player, Lake said the key offensively will be ball movement and good decision-making.
“Last year’s offense we tried to pour it into the middle and get it down low,” Lake said. “We aren’t really going to be able to do that this year for four quarters. We want to work it around and get other people involved and get them shots.”
Perhaps the biggest X-factor for Southside is Tisdale. The junior forward has a quick first step and a decent jumper and if she gets hot anything can happen.
“She’s a big factor,” Lake said. “If she can play like she has the ability to play she is going to be really big for us.”
Defensively, Southside will look to take advantage of its two posts by playing zone.
“We’re going to be pretty scrappy on defense. I’ve been impressed the first two games. The girls have gotten after it and challenged the ball and that’s the way you have to play,” Lake said. “Depending on who we play our defense will change, but we will probably be mainly a zone team.”
Lake said in order to have a successful season the team must play hard and believe in itself.
“For this year to go right we have to get confidence and have good bonding as a team,” Lake said. “The team really has to play together and play confident.”