RIVERSIDE
The pace was stunning.
Highland junior guard Abbi Stransky grabbed the rebound from a Columbus missed free throw, then dribbled all the way downcourt, quickly passing by three …
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RIVERSIDE
The pace was stunning.
Highland junior guard Abbi Stransky grabbed the rebound from a Columbus missed free throw, then dribbled all the way downcourt, quickly passing by three Columbus defenders and scoring on a layup.
Seconds later, she hit another shot.
Then, she halted another short Columbus possession with a steal.
That stretch of about a minute in last Friday’s home game for the Huskies defined a 61-23 victory for Highland.
“Honestly, this is what she’s capable of doing at any time,” said Highland head coach Jody Fink. “I mean, she’s just a good player. She does everything for us, rebounds, plays defense, passes the ball. It’s everything out there that you want in a player.”
Stransky scored a season-high 21 points and the Huskies scored a season-high 61.
“It was fun,” Stransky said. “I love playing with everybody on the court, everybody on the team.”
It was the second win in three games for Highland (4-4).
Dani Laughlin, a junior, scored 16 points for the Huskies and sophomore Sarah Burton added 10, but this was Stransky’s night. And Fink was happy to see it.
“She tries to get everybody else involved. Sometimes she’s a little bit too unselfish,” Fink said. “Tonight, she was taking things. … I tell the girls, sometimes you’ve got to be selfish. You might not want to take all the shots or something. She was feeling it tonight.”
Stransky scored 17 points in the first half, outscoring Columbus by herself. The Huskies led 34-13 at the half.
The game was physical, but worked right into Stransky’s wheelhouse. She was a backup quarterback last year for the Huskies football team.
“Her football background actually helps her out a lot because she sees the floor very, very well and just does a great job like a defensive back back there,” Fink said. “Our point guard, it’s the same. She’s the quarterback of our team. There’s a lot of nuances that are right there with both of them, the point guard and being a quarterback. She does a great job for us.”
She often shares the backcourt with senior guard Emma Soukop.
Stransky is the team leader in assists (27) and steals (34).
“Yeah, you just have to be the leader and make sure everything is running smooth, and put it all together for everybody,” she said.
The Huskies did not allow more than seven points in any of the quarters.
Junior guard Sela Vela led Columbus (2-7) with 9 points.
