By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
New coach Jeff Gregory will go with an entirely new starting lineup out of necessity when Pittston Area opens the girls basketball season.
The Lady Patriots lost all five starters from a team that went 5-9 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 and 10-13 overall in the last of 11 seasons under Kathy Healey’s leadership.
Gregory, who has previously served as a head coach of boys teams at Mountain View and Mid Valley, has also been an assistant in multiple roles, including last season with Scranton Prep’s unbeaten, championship team.
A switch from a zone-base defensively to playing mostly man-to-man will be one of the keys to Gregory’s transition.
“That’s the goal and I think the sooner we can establish that culture and get them comfortable in that type of defense, the better off we’ll be,” Gregory said.
With all the other changes and a preseason shortened by coronavirus-related precautions, Gregory acknowledges that he may not be able to make that complete changeover immediately.
“Being that it is going to be such a big change and adjustment for the girls, we’re still building on that and we have a long way to go,” he said. “ … It’s going to take a little time, but the sooner we’re able to do that and the better the progress is with that, I think that’s probably when we’ll become as competitive as we can be.”
Sophomore Kallie Booth was the team’s fourth-leading scorer and often a defensive sparkplug coming off the bench last season.
“We’re going to have to put a lot on her shoulders,” said Gregory, who plans to use Booth at both point guard and shooting guard, depending on who else is on the floor with her.
Amanda Fath, a 6-foot junior center, is the only player taller than 5-foot-8.
Fath and seniors Kendall Tigue, a guard, and Bernadette Lieback, a guard/forward, have the most experience on the rest of the roster.
Tiara George, a senior who is one of the leaders of the school’s volleyball team, has returned to the sport after years away and Gregory expects her to be able to make an impact.
Senior forward Jessica Zaladonis, junior forward Ava Butcher, senior guard Mia DeMarco and sophomore guard Ava Callahan have limited varsity experience.
