MORGANTOWN — There’s a dangerous storm brewing in the University High girls’ basketball team’s backcourt — perhaps, more accurately, there are two of them.
Junior Ashten Boggs and senior Zoe Murphy combined for 29 points per game last season — impressive considering that the Hawks averaged just 50 points per game as a unit.
Now, the duo is back on the court following a disappointing 8-15 campaign, and they’re just two of five returning starters on a team looking for redemption.
“I think they’ve done a good job in preseason practice. I think they’re more mature getting ready for this season,” said head coach David Price.
Things will start off slow for half that duo, though — Murphy is recovering from a summer ACL injury and will likely see less action than normal, as well as be limited in what she can do on the court.
“She’s going to make a go of it. She’s got it braced up and she’s back,” Price said.
Boggs said it will take some adjusting to get used to the times when Murphy doesn’t get to share the floor with her, but thinks that the minutes where they’re both on the court will prove more beneficial to the squad than last year.
“Me and Zoe are really good friends. We’ve always gotten along since middle school. While she’s out, it’s going to be weird having another point guard there. It will be something I’m not used to,” Boggs said.
“The times she is on the court, I think we’ll play much better — we bonded a lot over the summer and I think our chemistry is much better.”
The two athletes add a unique aspect to the floor when they play together. According to Boggs, the two have a complex relationship — the two find that they’re in tune with each other on the court, giving a distinct edge to the Hawks’ backcourt that many teams don’t have.
“Us playing together brings strengths in all positions on the court. We know each other on the court — we know when we need help, and if one is down we can bring the other up. We know each other’s next move, it’s like we can read each other’s mind,” she said.
While it’s not quite as powerful as what Boggs and Murphy share, it seems a year together gelling as a group allowed a similar bond to extend amongst all five starters, which could turn out to be the Hawks’ biggest strength.
“I think it gives an added chemistry out there. Hopefully they’re hungry to do well with each other this year and go farther than they have,” Price said.
Boggs expects the chemistry to pay dividends, especially as they encounter adversity and big-game situations — she knows that such issues are things her team already knows how to handle as a group, which is a bit further ahead than many teams usually are.
“Having all five starters back is definitely going to help this season. I think that’s going to give us strength. We know what it’s like to play in big situations as a group,” she said. “We know each other and how we play basketball. In the long run, it’s going to pay off.”
UHS will face Wheeling Central at 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Fairmont Armory.
