Already laying claim as top rebounder, senior forward Alecia Westbrook can now say she’s Park Hill South’s all-time leading scorer.
Westbrook scored 13 points in last Friday’s 67-56 home win, giving her 1,135 at the time to break Callie Smith’s old record of 1,127. Smith graduated in 2004.
Westbrook, a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signee, added 10 to her career mark in Monday’s 73-42 home win over Fort Osage, bringing her scoring total to 1,145 ahead of Wednesday’s “home” game with rival Park Hill at Hy-Vee Arena, slated for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
“It was something that she got close to last year and probably would have got if she didn’t get hurt,” third-year Park Hill South coach Josh Dorr said. “So we were hoping this would happen before Christmas break and here we are.
“She’s an all-around player,” Dorr added of Westbrook, who is also South’s rebounding leader with 917 boards. “She’s the focal point of our offense. Defensively, she’s an eraser. She cleans up everything.”
Westbrook, who led South with 15 points in a 64-41 home win over Platte County last Wednesday, has paced the Panthers to a 7-0 start to the season.
Dorr said they haven’t needed Westbrook to pour in 20 points per game, due to an increase of production around the all-state selection.
“Now, with the way DQ Guillory’s been playing, she’s been scoring more this year, and then (freshman Jaidynn) Mason has been coming along and gives us another 8-10 points per game. The first couple games she’s had to adjust and she’s getting there.”
South enters Wednesday as the favorite in the rivalry game with Park Hill (4-5). The Panthers will then bounce back on Thursday for a road contest at Lee’s Summit before taking a two-week break and returning on Jan. 4 at Liberty.
Park Hill South 64, Platte County 41
Platte County stayed within striking distance for three quarters before Park Hill South rolled to a 23-point victory on Wednesday, Dec. 12 in Riverside, Mo.
The Panthers held a seven-point lead after the first quarter and a 12-point advantage at halftime before putting together a 23-13 fourth quarter.
“We tried to live too much outside. We probably shot a lot of 3s, and we probably missed a lot of those,” Dorr said. “When we went on our run in the fourth quarter is when we finally took the ball to the basket. I told them we had to play inside-out and we’d be more successful.”
That run was a 12-2 stretch to close out the contest.
“We ran out of gas. We had nine players and two or three of them are JV girls,” Platte County coach Chris Stubbs said. “We lost one of our best players to a possible knee injury, but I felt like we battled. There were some girls that stepped up and got some playing time against a very good basketball team and ranked top-10 in the state, and for a reason.”
Senior guard Hannah Valentine sustained her injury with 4:36 left in the second quarter. The Pirates’ leading scorer did not return, leaving her future in question.
“She’s our leading scorer, she leads us in steals, she’s second in rebounds,” Stubbs said. “She drives our team.”
Stubbs later in the week said the program is hopeful for Valentine’s return on Jan. 3, when the Pirates return from a two-week break with a home contest against Kearney.
Grain Valley 59, Platte County 58
In their first full game without Valentine, the Pirates suffered its third loss of the season against Grain Valley at Platte County High School on Dec. 13.
Freshman guard Amaya Blake led the Pirates with a 27-point effort, going 11-for-19 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
Senior guard Jaycie Stubbs added 13 points and senior forward Shayla Kohler chipped in nine points and six rebounds.
Grain Valley fell to 4-3 with a loss at Winnetonka on Dec. 17.
Platte County bounced back with a 52-38 victory at Raytown South on Monday, Dec. 17. The Pirates host Grandview at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Park Hill South 67, Staley 56
A strong start and strong 3-point shooting elevated Park Hill South past Staley on Dec. 14 at Park Hill South High School in Riverside.
The Panthers, who made eight triples, raced out to an 18-8 lead after the first quarter thanks in large part to the play of DJ Guillory, who scored half of her team-high 16 points in the first frame, including two treys. Mason added six of her eight total points in the first quarter.
DJ Guillory cashed in on two 3-pointers as part of a 16-point effort to lead Park Hill South in scoring. DQ Guillory made four 3s as part of her efforts. Westbrook added 13 points and Bali Cortes chipped in 11, two triples, all coming in the second half.
After building the 10-point lead through the first quarter, the Panthers and Staley played fairly even the rest of the way. Staley edged Park Hill South 14-12 in the second quarter before the Panthers won the final two frames by a combined three points.
Park Hill South 73, Fort Osage 42
The Panthers pushed the pace in the second quarter before locking down on defense in a victory over Fort Osage on Dec. 17 at Park Hill South High School in Riverside.
The Panthers owned a 22-18 lead after the first quarter, but the home side used a strong second quarter, 24-10, to take a 46-28 lead into the locker room.
After the break, Park Hill South’s defense came to play. The Panthers held the Indians to six and eight points, respectively, in the final two quarters of action. The Panthers scored 13 and 14 on their way to a 31-point victory.
Mason led the way for Park Hill South with a 19-point effort. DJ Guillory added 18 points and Westbrook chipped in 10.