Sports
Thursday, February 19, 2015
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Lehman aims high for future role Increase in offense, leadership roles with hoops coming
she was in high school. Lehman said she knows her role as a sophomore and also knows that role will change when the seniors leave. “I definitely ... am going to have to step up and be more vocal than now,” Lehman said. “I think it’s going to have to be a on-the-court, off-the-court thing, and just getting more involved.” Lehman said the pressure of being a leader next season doesn’t frighten her and she’s “up for the challenge.” Pulliam and Corral said Lehman has to learn a few more things in order to become the best version of herself but her future is bright.
Walter Douglas Staff writer T @offtheWALT
DeKalb | Women’s basketball’s sophomore Ally Lehman is preparing to have a larger role offensively and leadership-wise next season. The focus is on Lehman because the graduating class of 2015 includes four key players: guards Danny Pulliam and Amanda Corral and forwards Jenna Thorp and Alex Dumoulin. Lehman will be one of few upperclassmen with starting experience next year, and she’s setting the expectations for her leadership at a higher level. Even though Lehman’s started 50 games at NIU, she is adjusting to the pace of college basketball. “It was definitely a harder transition trying to keep up with the pace, Ally Lehman thinking ahead Sophomore and trying to play in the moment,” Lehman said. “In high school it was easy to jump over people to get rebounds. Now you have to box [out] and the tempo is completely different.” Lehman’s decision to come to NIU was based on the potential of being able to play right away and succeeding in the future. “I really just wanted to pick a school that I could hopefully make a difference for … and I really loved the coaching staff,” Lehman said. Lehman was setting career highs during her senior year at Indian Creek High School in Trafalgar, Ind. She averaged 24.2 points per
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I want her to be the best Ally Lehman she can be. I definitely think she can be more of a scorer, and I want to see her grow as that combo guard. … I think she can definitely become a better offensive player. She has done a great job defensively for us. She has grasped the system, and I want her to keep getting better in all those areas.” Kathi Bennett Head coach
Alex LaBee | Northern Star File Photo
Sophomore Ally Lehman (31) shoots a free throw Feb. 11 in the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at the Convocation Center. Lehman has played in 53 games, starting 50 of them, during her two seasons at NIU.
game and was named to IndyStar. com’s All-Indiana team. This season, Lehman is averaging nine points and 7.4 rebounds per
game. She approaches the game with the same mentality as she did in the past even though she isn’t depended upon for as much of the scoring as
“As a freshman [Lehman] was a little timid, and now as she has grown up and gotten more experience,” Pulliam said. “She’s very confident in everything she’s doing. … She’s been more versatile. She’s doing really well.” Corral will take her team-high 16.7 points per game with her when she graduates, so she is going to pass the torch to Lehman to help her become the leader. “I’m already trying to get her
Per game averages Frosh Soph Points 6.2 9.0 Rebounds 4.4 7.4 Assists 2.4 3.7 Steals 0.9 1.3 Minutes 26.5 33.6 involved in the things that I do,” Corral said. “The team is going to need her and is going to need her to take a big leadership role.” Head coach Kathi Bennett, who recruited Lehman, said the sophomore has done a good job adjusting to the college pace and there is more to come from her. “I think the best has yet to come for her, and I think she just keeps getting better,” Bennett said. “I think the area where she’s grown the most in is leadership and her talking and communicating with the team and her coaches.” Bennett said this offseason the coaching staff is going to work on Lehman’s jumper and 3-point shot to get it to become more consistent and steady. They also will help Lehman become more explosive and stronger and aid her in working better off the ball. Even though there are high expectations for Lehman — from herself and the coaching staff — Bennett does not want her to try to be anyone other than herself. “I want her to be the best Ally Lehman she can be,” Bennett said. “I definitely think she can be more of a scorer, and I want to see her grow as that combo guard. … I think she can definitely become a better offensive player. She has done a great job defensively for us. She has grasped the system, and I want her to keep getting better in all those areas.”
Seniors Argue, Elmore ready for final home duals Frank Gogola Sports Editor T @FrankGogola
Senior spotlight
memory since so many things have happened. We’ve just become like a huge family with these guys. It’s just crazy how, in four years, how close you can get to some people that you’ve never met.
Tyler Argue Year: Senior Derek Elmore will wrestle their fiWeight class: 141 pounds nal home matches this weekend. Career record: 46-47 The Huskies (9-11, 1-5 MAC) Major: Communication DeKalb | Seniors Tyler Argue and
take on the Buffalo Bulls (5-13, 0-7 MAC) 7 p.m. Friday at the Convocation Center for Senior Night. Head coach Ryan Ludwig said Argue and Elmore will be recognized before the dual. The Huskies close out the regular season 2 p.m. Sunday when they host the Old Dominion Monarchs (12-4, 5-1 MAC).
Q: What will it take to get two wins this weekend? A: Both of my guys have been in and out of the rankings, so it’s going to be two tough matches. Just going out there and wrestling my style, really, just getting to my shots, just my move and everything I’ve got.
Derek Elmore Year: Senior Weight class: 125 pounds Career record: 52-38 Major: Special education
coach, and he told me that’s basically me the rest of the season throughout NCAAs. I really think Tyler Argue it’s going to take just that – being Q: What is your favorite mem- a mean, fierce tiger ready to go ory at NIU? take down some prey. A: We used to wrestle in the [Convocation Center] in like a showcase Q: How are you approaching meet, and it was like up on a plat- your final home matches? form. It was against Michigan State a A: I’ve just been determined to couple of years ago. I mean, that was have a really good week and basifun; I won. I was like one of the only cally just leave it all on the line beones to win, so it was pretty cool. cause I’ve got nothing to lose the last couple meets of the season. Q: What will it take to get two wins this weekend? Q: What are your plans after A: I got a picture earlier of graduation? a fierce-looking tiger from my A: … I’m going to move out to
Q: How are you approaching your final home matches? A: Really just stay calm. Yeah, there’s going to be a lot of emotions out there Senior Night. Just stay focused, treat it like another match. Just got to go out there and wrestle. Ryan Ocasio | Northern Star Portrait
Q: What are your plans after graduation? A: I want to go back to my home and try to get my law degree. town … Rockford and get the coaching spot at my old high school Derek Elmore and just stay up to date with that Q: What is your favorite mem- program. I’ve wanted to do that ory at NIU? since I was like in seventh or eighth A: There’s really no favorite grade, just come back to my town.
Seniors Derek Elmore (left) and Tyler Argue (right) are looking to go out on the right note when they wrestle at home for the final two times Friday and Sunday. They’ll also wrestle March 7 and 8 at the MAC Championships.
California with my parents and probably just work for a little … I’ll basically be training for law school in the meantime while I’m working just to get myself ready for that. Then I’m going to apply to a bunch of law schools