S"wishing" for Basketball Season

By Ava Bergman | Staff Writer

December 9, 2024

The Men's and Women's 2024-2025 basketball season is now underway, and both teams are preparing for a long ride. After moving down from Division I to Division II, both teams' hope for a long tournament run was reassured.

Last season, the ladies were led by Ella Dreier (10), who scored an average of 10.8 points per game and was named Second Team All-ECC as a freshman; the women's team didn’t finish the season how they wanted to last year but have high hopes for this one.

Without seniors on the women's side, Ellie Lamkin (11) is one of the team’s leaders this year. Her goal for the team was to win more games and work together as a unit. She also shared her insight into their practices, which she believes set them up for success.

“We work hard, we show up for an hour and a half to two hours, and get everything we need to done,” Lamkin said.

Lucy Redman (10) also shared that they often do scrimmages, drills, and conditioning in order to be as successful as possible.

Although the games and practices are the most vital part of basketball season, the ladies are also excited to bond with their team and grow closer outside of the gymnasium.

“[I'm most excited] to hang out with my teammates, because we always have fun together. Team dinners are always a lot of fun,” Redman said.

Despite their 0-3 start to the season, these Lady Raptors still hope to build momentum before playoffs and fight through their tough position in the conference.

The men are still gearing up for their first game of the season, set to take on Bartels Road as the visiting team on Friday, December 13.

After a successful season last year, finishing third in the ECC, the boys are ready to get back to business.

Toby Strausbaugh (11), a guard for the Raptors who was an ECC honorable mention last year, shared his perspective on the season and what he believes to be their key to success.

“We have different players than last year, [so] different people will have to contribute. We will have to build chemistry as the season goes on,” Strausbaugh said.

Strausbaugh also added that the team is preparing to face the various defenses and formations other teams throw at them.

“We go through a lot of walk-throughs during practice [and] watch a lot of film to make sure we know what plays they’ll run and what defense will match up against us,” Strausbaugh said.

Preparation is vital in any sport and is demonstrated by both the men and women's teams, but there are many other factors that key in to a team's overall success. These teams need the Anderson community to show up for them and give them the support they need as they chase their goals.

Be at the Anderson gymnasium, follow the themes, cheer loudly, and root for your Raptor peers to win.