Columbia lost posts Emily Beck and Mallory Hottell from last year’s team, but its senior-heavy lineup is ready to adapt.
Enlightened by the change in circumstance, the Raiders plan to increase the tempo to suit their guard-heavy lineup, with seniors Elise Champagne, Rachel Washburn, Payton Menge and Delaney Friscone at the forefront.
“We are definitely missing some height with losing our two seniors from last year, but we are also athletic,” Champagne said. “Boxing out is super important. We work out on that in practice all the time. Us playing athletic makes the height difference not a big deal.”
Columbia fans saw first-hand when the Raiders defeated Normandy, a Division I team, 61-47, in their season opener. The change in pace resulted in Normandy scoring more than the 32 points per game Columbia’s defense previously gave up. Columbia Coach Cory Taylor liked the offense’s response to hit shots and methodically move the ball, with speed and efficiency.
Columbia vs. Normandy girls basketball: Raiders finish strong for season-opening win
"I'm pretty confident (that we can win high and low-scoring games)," he said. "I think that the defense is the strength of ours. (Against Normandy) was pretty tough. We aren't accustomed to giving up 40 points. We like to keep teams in the 30s. That is a testament to Normandy and what they were challenging us to do. I am proud because we stepped up, we knocked down 3s, knocked down shots and we were able to space people out. We weren't a great 3-point shooting team last year. That (performance) proved it a little bit differently."
The buildup to the four's senior season has had years of work in the making, since they were in middle school, which makes ball movement easier.
"I've been around these girls since they were in seventh grade," Taylor said. "They have been coming over for practices and open gyms since they were in seventh grade with us. They have really grown together. It is the most unselfish group of kids that I've ever coached. You can see that they move the ball and they make the extra pass and they care about each other. They care about the outcome of the precedent that they are trying to move forward."
By playing together for so long, the core knows how to use each other's strengths to make the most out of it on the court.
"We have been playing together since seventh grade, so we understand each other's game and what each other's strength and weaknesses are. We can set each other up to make good plays," Champagne said.
The Raiders' 55.4 points per game and 28.9 points allowed per game was the best among Lorain County League teams last year. However, Columbia (20-4, 12-2 in LC8) lost to Keystone both times to finish in second place, as well as a Division III district semifinal loss in the postseason.
"I hope that we are able to contend. ... I want to be able to contend for (the LC8) crown. These seniors have worked really hard to be able to contend for that," Taylor said. "We would like to go out and win that. That is a major goal for what we have. We have a lot of good teams in our way."
With several highly recruited names in the area's girls basketball scene signed to play college basketball, Champagne could be under the radar from a Division III program. Taylor ensures the three-time All-Ohioan is not someone to sleep on. She recorded a near triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on opening night.
"Elise (Champagne) doesn't go under the radar for me. I hope that she doesn't go under the radar for a lot of people, because she has earned everything that she's gone after and fought for, for the past three years," Taylor said. "I am really excited to sit back and watch her in her senior year. I've grown to getting used to the girls in that locker room. It is going to be a fun season and I am excited to see where we can go with that."
The loss of key post players puts an emphasis Columbia's interior, especially when it comes to rebounding, which will be a team effort.
"Our biggest adjustment is that we need to rebound, because we did lose our two posts. So, we need to box out and not lose defensive rebounding," Menge said.
Menge scored 10 points against Normandy, with key 3-pointers to extend its lead in the second quarter. Taylor is confident that she is one of many players who perform in those moments as the season goes along.
"We set a big precedent that it is going to be someone else every single night. (Against Normandy), Payton (Menge) hit the big shots. Tomorrow, it could be Rachel Washburn," Taylor said. "It depends. Bree Heidecker came in and she gave us great minutes underneath the basket. We want it to be very difficult to watch us on film and be able to prepare for us."
Columbia started its season 1-0 and will play Black River on Dec. 1.
