Indians expect a trip to state

By MARTIN HARRIS - Sports Editor
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

ELKO - With increased success comes increased expectations.

The Elko girls basketball team is ready to meet them. The Lady Indians have made significant strides in the last three years and with a host of solid seniors, believe it is ready to take the next step back into the state spotlight.

The Tribe has improved its win total each of the last three seasons, including a 19-10 mark last year. The squad has made the playoffs the last two years but lost each time in the first round against Reno High.

Now, the sky is the limit and Elko coach Karen Hoem has put the challenge out there for herself and her team.

After putting together a good schedule the last couple of years that would help the team rebuild and establish confidence, Hoem devised the most aggressive schedule the Lady Indians have seen during her tenure.

“It's a crazy schedule,” Hoem said. “If we can't be ready with this group, we're never going to be. We've got to learn how to win on the road and this schedule will help us learn that.”

After opening the season at Lowry on Nov. 27, the Tribe returns home for visits from North Valleys on Dec. 1 and Lowry on Dec. 11, and then it gets significantly harder.

The Lady Indians travel to Fresno, Calif., for a tournament against some of the top programs in the West. Over the holidays, they travel to Las Vegas for the annual Lady Bulldog Classic and then High Desert League play starts after the new year.

Oh, Elko also has a date with Bishop Gorman, the defending state champs, in January in Las Vegas.

The confidence to put together such an aggressive schedule comes from the solid group of returnees from last year. The Tribe has four starters and nine varsity players back. The group represents 86 percent of the offense.

“It's great,” Hoem said of the returning group. “We still want to make sure you're keeping on what you're supposed to but we're not starting from scratch. We don't have to spend as much time going back over things.”

The group coming back includes one Division I signee and another prospect. Taylor Altenburg, who signed with New Mexico State last week, is back for one more shot at a championship and a chance to break a couple of longstanding EHS records.

“I'm so excited about this year,” Altenburg said. “We have a great team. Our main focus is to go to state.”

Altenburg has led the team in points, rebounds and blocks each of her three seasons, including a career best 17.2 points per game last year.

“Taylor's a huge part offensively and on the boards,” Hoem said, “but she knows that it's going to take all of us to get where we want to be.”

As for her chase in the record books, Altenburg's 1,316 career points place her fifth on the all-time Elko list and trails No. 1 Dyann Rogers by 355 points. If she maintains her 15.3 career points per game average, she should set the mark in the team's 24th game of the regular season.

Altenburg appears likely to also set the career rebounding mark. Her 800 boards are third and only 187 fewer than leader Lauren Beckman. The senior's 272 steals place her fifth in the program's history and 127 assists are 10th best.

Sophomore Ciera Dunbar is already garnering attention from college scouts and has turned it up a notch.

“Her intensity and work ethic in the offseason has doubled or tripled,” Hoem said. “She's worked quite a bit in the offseason on her agility, ability and explosiveness.”

Hoem said Dunbar will take on a much larger role with the team this season after coming off the bench as a freshman. The coach said the sophomore will play a multi-dimensional role with the team.

“She handles the ball well and passes well,” Hoem said. “She's going to have to score more and improve her defense. A lot is going to fall on her shoulders.”

Dunbar has put on some muscle in the offseason and with the loss of both of last year's centers, the 5-foot-10 Dunbar could be called upon to play some interior defense.

Like Altenburg, senior Lorena Torres has been in the starting lineup since her freshman year.

Torres averaged 9.0 points and dished out 44 assists for the year.

“She's very much our point guard,” Hoem said. “She has to be our floor leader on the floor. She's a confident shooter and her experience will be important to us.”

Hoem noted a couple of junior colleges were interested in Torres.

Torres' steady play over the seasons ranks her among the top 10 in several of the Elko all-time statistical leaders. She's 10th in points (721) and rebounds (162).

Junior Shelby Bruns will have an added role this season. After playing the four last year, Hoem plans to move Bruns into the post this year after the losses of Brittni Black and Erin Heise.

“Shelby will probably be forced to play some mismatches,” Hoem said. “A lot of our rebounding falls on her. She can't get into foul trouble.”

When Bruns goes to the bench, Mekinna Cripps will need to play the same role.

Speedster Sara Inman returns to the starting lineup and is expected to be a defensive stopper and continue to knock down big shots. She averaged 5.9 points last year but she always comes on in the second half of the season.

Hoem said Inman's court speed is a big plus for the team. The senior has also shown tremendous strides in the offseason.

“We'll need her to shoot and handle the ball more this year,” Hoem said. “Overall in our whole program, she's probably improved the most of any of the seniors. She's done a lot to help us.”

In addition to Cripps, the bench is comprised of returnees Brooke Casagranda, Pam Jueneman and Devyn Courts, along with new varsity players Lyndsey James and Megan Waldvogel. Courts was the highest scorer among the group last year at 2.4 ppg.

“They'll need to come in and give the starters the break they need,” Hoem said. “They need to have a bust-out year.”

In addition to winning road games, the team emphasis is to play better defense. Accomplishing those two tasks should help the Indians challenge for their postseason goals.

After placing fourth and third in the High Desert League the last two years, Hoem expects the team to be in the top two this year and the goal is to make it to the state tournament.

“Our league is unbelievably tough,” Hoem said. “If we can win some road games and seal the wins at home, we should get there. I expect to be in the top two (in the HDL).”