4 Girls to Watch
Here are four players expected to have big impacts on their teams:
Here are four players expected to have big impacts on their teams:
Natasha Cloud, Cardinal O'Hara, 5-foot-11, senior, guard
While helping the Lions reach the PIAA Class AAAA state final last season, Cloud, a terrific passer and defender, averaged 8.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. She shot 82 percent from the foul line. Cloud, ticketed for Maryland, will take over at point guard this season. Her quickness, smarts and instincts give O'Hara a dangerous fastbreak attack.
Emily Leer, Abington, 6-2, senior, guard/forward
Leer, arguably the area's most versatile performer because of her inside-outside talents, averaged 15 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game last season while leading the Ghosts to a 20-7 record and second place in the Suburban One League National Conference. A four-year starter, Leer is headed to Villanova. Her sister, Liz, starred at Abington and is a junior forward at American.
Maggie Lucas, Germantown Academy, 5-8, senior, guard
A long-range sniper who can also slash to the basket, Lucas averaged 22 points a game, including 96 three-pointers, last season to spark the Patriots to a 31-0 record and their 11th straight Inter-Academic League championship. Lucas, bound for Penn State, also delivered four rebounds, four steals, and three assists per game.
Sarah Kiely, Council Rock North, 6-0, senior, forward
Last season, Kiely, a dangerous inside-outside player, averaged 14.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game as the Indians went 22-6 overall and claimed the Suburban One League National Conference title with a 14-0 mark. Kiely, headed for American, shot 43.8 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. In 28 appearances, she grabbed 161 rebounds on defense and 82 on offense.