KNOX, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Ashlee Albright is almost always the smallest player on the floor.
What the 5-foot-2 junior guard lacks in height, she makes up for with determination and grit.
(Pictured above, Ashlee Albright)
Albright is sometimes overlooked because of her diminutive size. Keystone opponents do that at their own peril.
Albright, though, shrugs it all off.
When asked if it gives her a chip on her shoulder, she simply shakes her head contemplatively and says, “No.”
“I just have to go harder,” she continued. “I just have to use my quickness and be fast and get around them.”
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Albright has emerged as one of the most dangerous guards around this season for Keystone, which is 3-5 despite battling significant injuries to several key players.
Albright has helped keep the Panther ship from complete capsizing. She’s averaging nearly 10 points per game, but has shown the ability to pile up points in bunches.
She’s already topped 20 points in a game twice.
Speed and quickness is no problem for her; she can get to rim seemingly at will. What she worked on the most during the offseason was honing her jump shot to give her an added dimension.
“I definitely shot a lot,” Albright said, smiling. “I played a lot of summer league games and I went to open gyms. I also worked on my ball handling.”
Albright also left her trepidations at the gym door.
It wasn’t always easy, but Albright was determined to become fearless when she stepped out onto the floor. It was the only way she could reach her full potential.
She admitted setting aside doubts wasn’t always part of her makeup. Last year, she was she often too timid.
Albright worked hard to curb her fears.
“That’s mostly come this year,” Alright said. “In the past, I was just in my head about things and I just sort of changed all that.”
With that new attitude and more polished skills, Albright has become a key part of Keystone’s successes this season.
The Panthers are without forward Jerzey Bell, who suffered a shoulder injury and is likely out of the season. They are also without guard Jill Winters, who tore her ACL while playing soccer for Keystone this fall, and Gwen Manno is also on the shelf.
That puts a lot of the onus on Alright.
And she’s willing to take it on.
“With all these players out, I figured I was going to have to really step up,” she said. “I think most of our team has.”
Keystone coach Andy Traister said no matter how physical things get for Albright because of her size, she keeps on going.
“She worked pretty hard on her game this summer,” said Keystone coach Andy Traister. “The hardest thing about her is her size. She gets beat up a little bit and she battles through everything. She wants the ball and that’s what we need. We need someone who wants the ball.”
Albright’s greatest gift on the court can’t be measured.
“She’s all-out hustle all the time,” Traister said.
She needs every intangible she has.
Albright certainly didn’t get the tall gene like her brother, Tyler, who turned in standout careers on the football field as well as the basketball court at Keystone.
Tyler Albright, who stands 6-foot-1, is a freshman wide receiver at Washington & Jefferson.
Ashlee Albright said her brother has been a big influence on her athletic life.
“He definitely helped and definitely pushed me,” she said. “Just playing in the house growing up and playing different sports. We played flag football growing up and track. He beat me up a little when I was younger, but he became helpful older brother.”
Albright said she thinks Keystone can still make some noise as the season progresses, even with the injuries and the relative inexperience.
There is a lot of talent around her in forwards Ava Patrick and Amanda Reyes and guards Emma Gruber and Mia Traister.
“We play well for awhile. We just have to keep playing like that all game,” Albright said. “We just fall off. I think we can be able to get past that here. Soon, hopefully. We have a good team. I think we can do it.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
