Cheswick Academy girls basketball is has young, talented experience

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 23, 2017 | 9:08 PM

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A brief look at the 2017-18 Cheswick Academy girls basketball roster might give the sense that the team might be too young to compete this season.

Second-year coach Clinton Blazevich wouldn't have it any other way.

He returns four of his five starters from a team that fell in the semifinals of the Southwest Christian Athletic Conference playoffs last season, and he is optimistic last year's experience will go a long way into shaping this year's team.

“Our success will be determined by the team, not the individual, and they have to play well and play well together,” said Blazevich, whose Chargers went 18-5 last season.

Blazevich preaches teamwork because no one player is going to make up for the 286 points scored by SWCAC Greater Pittsburgh Division MVP Kathleen Swartzwelder, who graduated.

“(Swartzwelder) is a big loss for us,” Blazevich said. “We've got some big shoes that we have to make up for. She scored a double-double in every game but two, and in those two (games) she had triple-doubles.”

It's still a little early to see who is going to step into those big shoes, but Blazevich is confident if the Chargers are going to be successful they will have to play together and, at times, go with the hot hand.

“(Teams) focused on Kathleen last year and rightfully so,” Blazevich said. “I think that they realized that its going to take a team effort to make up for all of that. I'm very confident in the five girls and especially the four coming back. They all get along.”

Blazevich's motion offense is going to run through 5-foot-5 freshman point guard Daisy Hamilton.

One of the unique things about the SWAC is eighth-graders are allowed to play varsity basketball. Hamilton not only started last year as an eighth-grader but ranked first on the team in assists and steals and finished third in points.

“She's probably one of the most natural basketball players that I've ever coached,” Blazevich said. “She gets it, and she's young but there are still things. She's very smooth with the ball. She's the best at coming up with steals.”

Hamilton is going to need a repeat performance as the key going to be how well the Chargers play team defense. Blazevich won't have to look very far when it comes to a quality shot blocker. His daughter, Alexis, a 5-6 power forward, has elevated her game after a standout freshman season and is looked at as one of the top shot-blockers in the SWCAC.

Junior Bethany Kosor, a 5-4 forward/guard who was named to the all-conference team as a sophomore, finished second on the team in assists and points and third in rebounds.

“It's one of those things where I can tell the girls something, and they just do it,” Blazevich said. “They know the kind of offense I like to run. I don't prefer that kind of grind-it-out offense. I'd prefer that we score on all fast breaks if we could, and I like an attacking defense.”

Sophomore Kelsey Kiger, a 5-2 shooting guard with a distinct shot, will step back into her role as the 3-point threat and is described by Blazevich as Cheswick's best man-to-man defender.

“I've seen her change games with her 3-point shooting,” Blazevich said.

The newcomer in the starting five is 5-9 sophomore center Alyson Drake. Drake has the one thing that Blazevich can't coach: height. Despite Drake's lack of experience, Blazevich hopes she can clean up under the hoop.

“She is young and very green and has a lot of the talents that we're looking for,” Blazevich said. “It basically came down to what are our needs were, which was rebounding.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Cheswick Christian