After taking over the Marion Giants girl’s basketball program after a long stint in the JV ranks, Head Coach Lawrence Jordan put together a remarkable debut campaign.
With an incredibly talented group of players led by Ra’Shaya Kyle, Jazmyn Turner, and Ellie Vermilion, the Marion Giants compiled a 21-5 record and made history by winning their first sectional title since 1997.
Now, with most of last year’s roster returning, the Giants have a chance to go even further in the 2018-2019 season.
Throughout the offseason and the early stages of this year, the Giants have locked in, working tirelessly to hone their craft.
“What we have been doing right now is conditioning,” Jordan said. “Last year, I felt there were times we got tired [and] we blew a couple of games early. The core group is back, and it has been a complete buy-in. We’ve been working our butts off, [and] the girls are in tip-top condition.”
Turner (15.7 ppg) and Kyle (15.0 ppg), Marion’s top two scorers from a year ago, have only gotten better heading into this season, according to Jordan. Throughout workouts and practices, they have pushed one another to be better on both ends of the floor, and Jordan is starting to see tremendous strides.
“When they play against each other in practice, they are literally competing against each other,” Jordan said. “I didn’t get that last year. Now, I’ve got them working against each other going hard in drills [and] when we play five on five. It’s been really refreshing. “It’s a blessing to be a part of this. We’ve got high quality girls that are listening and working hard, and it’s a good feeling.”
Vermilion, who was the Giants’ third leading scorer at 8.1 ppg, also returns to the starting lineup, and she looks to be the top outside threat for Marion once again. Senior Markeisha Jackson, one of Marion’s top defenders from a year ago, will also be relied on heavily throughout the season on the defensive end of the floor. Ayanna Harvey, who has become much more fluid on the court, according to Turner, will also take on a bigger role for herself this year, while youngsters Olivia Aguilar and Kaliyah Jones will provide valuable minutes off the bench.
“I feel really good about these girls,” Jordan said. “From the moment I’ve taken over, they’ve worked hard for me, and with this being my second year, they know how I am, and they know what I expect. They’ve given me a complete buy-in. I’ve got really quality girls. I might not have the numbers, but the girls I have I wouldn’t trade for anything. We are ready to get into some live action.”
The Giants open their season on Tuesday, October 30 against the Pendleton Heights Arabians, and needless to say, they are ready to get started.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but we left the conference championship out there last year, so that will probably be our number one thing,” Jordan said. “We want to be in the top portion of our conference, the NCC. We’ve got a bitter taste in our mouth from Hamilton Heights after what they did to us last year in the regionals. We didn’t forget that. We are ready to compete.”
