RIMERSBURG, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Mylee Harmon has poise that belies her youth.
The freshman guard on the Redbank Valley girls basketball team has found her niche with the Bulldogs this season. She’s the first player off the bench, but is more like a sixth starter.
(Above photo by Shelly Atzeni)
Harmon showed off her eclectic skills Monday night against Union, scoring 27 points to lead Redbank Valley to a 52-37 road win.
“From day one, Mylee wasn’t really a freshman,” said Redbank coach Chris Edmonds. “We were counting on her to be the (first person) off the bench. She stepped into that position and as the season had went on, we’re very pleased with her skill set and what she brings to the team.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
Harmon tortured the Damsels from the outside as well as inside. She handled the ball — and she stole it, too. If there was a way for her to hurt Union, she did it.
“I play AAU, so that helps me a lot,” Harmon said. “I do feel like one of the upperclassmen, which has helped me get comfortable with the team and everything I have to do.”
With center Madison Foringer in foul trouble from virtually the opening tip — and also battling an illness that had her at less than 100% — Redbank (14-4) slid point guard Alivia Huffman into more of a post role.
That opened the door for Harmon to handle the ball a lot more and she acquitted herself well.
On two possessions late with the game still somewhat in doubt, Harmon was able to dribble to her left and penetrate for layups.
She was also a deep receiving threat for Huffman’s strong arm.
(Redbank Valley freshman Mylee Harmon was named Hager Paving Incorporated Player of the Game)
On several occasions after Huffman pulled down a rebound, the junior threw a baseball pass to Harmon streaking toward the Bulldog basket.
“We’ve taught the top two girls at the top of our 2-3 (zone) to get down the court and make themselves available for Alivia or someone else to find them when they get rebounds,” Edmonds said.
Union coach Ally Kepple knew it was coming — she likes to do the same thing with Keira Croyle.
Still, the Damsels (12-5) were sometimes slow to react to it.
“We have to get back,” Kepple said. “When we go back and watch film, we’ll have to see what happened there.”
Union did a lot of work at the free throw line in the first half, which kept the Damsels in the game.
Union hit just four shots from the floor in the first two quarters, but hit 10 free throws to enter the half down just 21-18.
The second half wasn’t as kind to the Damsels, who were getting stops on the defensive end, but weren’t able to take advantage at their own basket.
“A lot of teams struggle with defense, but I think that was one of the top things we did,” Kepple said. “Offensively we really struggled.”
Because Redbank Valley’s stingy defense, it was eventually able to pull away.
Huffman added 13 points for the Bulldogs — 11 coming in the second half.
Croyle led Union with 16 points and Dominika Logue added 13.
“We knew Redbank is a good team,” Kepple said. “They have great hands. They get their hands on a lot of passes. We had a lot of turnovers, too, because of their 2-3. They are a great team.”
Now in the home stretch of the regular season, Edmonds was happy to play a good team on the road in a playoff-like atmosphere.
“(Union) asked us to come over for a girls-boys doubleheader, so I asked the girls in practice the other night and every one of them said yes,” Edmonds said. “They liked the environment. They like to play in big games. We have a decent out-of-conference schedule to prepare us for this and we’ve been talking about the next two weeks getting ready (for the playoffs). We’re excited for this last part of the season.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
