The Maize South Lady Mavericks basketball team is being led in a big way this season by their leaders, point guard Mckenna Poynter and junior post/ forward Mariah Suchan. As the basketball season approaches the halfway point of the season, the Lady Mavericks team stands at 5-4 on the season as they prepare for their Tournament of Champions in Pratt next Thursday through Saturday. After a bumpy start to the season, the team leadership in Poynter and Suchan are starting to gel as witnessed in their most recent victory against Winfield.
The Lady Mavs defeated Winfield 52-36 as Poynter and Suchan came through in the clutch late to pull away from Winfield. Poynter had 13 of her season high 15 points in the 2nd half and Suchan dropped in 10 of her 18 points in the 2nd half.
This is the third season that Suchan and Poynter have played together on the Lady Mavericks team. And that time playing together has paid off as the two are helping their team to another winning season. “ We communicate really well on the court…we are looking for each other on the court, trying to make smart, quick decisions on the floor, “ explained Suchan. “ Mckenna just gets the game and that helps our team so much,” Suchan concluded.
On the season Suchan is averaging a double/double with 17points and 10 rebounds per game. Suchan leads the Ark Valley Division Two in scoring so far this season. Add in Poynter’s 9 point average along with 5 rebounds a game you’ve got two go to players for the Lady Mavs.
More impressive for Poynter this season is her distribution of the basketball and smart decision making especially of late in several of the Lady Mavs most recent games. Her ability to move the ball down the floor and make the go to pass has been improving ever since she started as a freshman for a very young team several years ago. Suchan elaborated on Mckenna’s skills, “she has such a competitive edge to her…definitely a team leader and so skilled at getting the ball up the court.”
With Suchan her tenacious defensive pressure she puts on her opponents has frustrated her opponents thus far this season. Add to that her good hands, ball handling skills and her added outside shot threat on the offensive side of the ball have opponents guessing more and more as the season moves forward. Poynter explained further about her teammate, “I love playing with Mariah because she makes it so easy for me to drive into the lane and does an amazing job at getting open for the dish pass.”
A year ago this Lady Mavs team had four seniors that helped Poynter and Suchan finish at 13-9 after bowing to Hesston in the sub state semi finals. This season the Lady Mavs have moved up a division and to the 5A class where they are playing the likes of state ranked Andover, Andover Central, Salina Central and Valley Center. Three of their losses have been to those schools already. But as they move into the second part of the season the tandem of Poynter and Suchan should give the Lady Mavs hope at getting to that 13 win season again like a year ago.
Suchan and Poynter will lead their team to Pratt with an opening game Thursday against Chaparral (4-6). St. Johns/Hudson(10-0), currently #1 in 1A and Wichita South (8-1) and #4 in 6A are also playing at the Pratt tourney this year.
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