Photos by Christian Knox / The Meridian StarSarah Dudley Reed (21) gets a block when Lamar played Winston Academy at home on Jan. 10.

High school basketball coaches must be able to identify their players’ strengths and abilities so they can put them in positions to be successful. Some are tall, others can jump high, or are fast or strong. Some can shoot the lights out on offense. Others can time rebounds coming off the glass perfectly.

Lamar girls basketball coach Joe Miller had just eight players on his roster at the end of this season. But, Lamar (18-12) had success because Miller, with the help of assistant coach Charles Shaffer, was able to identify the perfect role for each of his players.

“They didn’t get a lot of rest, but that has never bothered me a lot. We ended the year with six players who played well together, so I never worried about small numbers. It wasn’t a big deal because we were pretty much in the same situation last year,” Miller said.

Freshmen Ruth Williams and Charlee Castle did not see a lot of playing time this season after being elevated from junior varsity to bolster the numbers of the varsity roster. This move gave the two freshmen some experience at the varsity level while also protecting Lamar from running out of players because of foul trouble, injuries and illnesses.

Williams and Castle could certainly step into larger roles next season on the varsity team, but all eyes will be on guard Aryah Grace, point guard Blake Hart and center Sarah Dudley Reed to take the Raiders to the next level.

Grace was just a sophomore this season, but she used her skills and size to lead Lamar on offense. Her fluid moves in the paint and improving deep shot allowed her to post a team-high 19.2 points per game, and she also dished out 5 assists per game.

“She was probably one of the 24 best players in the state, and certainly one of the best 24 underclassmen.” Miller said. “Grace has it all. She’s a tall guard, she handles the ball well, she drives well, she shoots 3’s well.”

Grace was also a force on defense. She averaged 10 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 2 blocks by using her length to disrupt opponents every time she stepped on the court.

Hart was a well-rounded second option on offense, averaging 14.1 PPG and 5.4 APG. Like many young point guards, she struggled early in the season with turnovers, but Miller said she improved her ball handling as the season went on.

“(Hart was the) most improved player I had,” Miller said. “Shooting got much better. She had a really good jump shot in the lane. We tried to run our offense off of her a lot where she would drive into the lane and either kick it to the open person or hit the jump shot, and she really came on strong late in the year.”

Hart also snagged 3.3 rebounds per game and 3.4 steals per game, but Reed was the team’s anchor on defense. Miller relied on Reed’s height and defensive skills to protect the paint. She averaged 3 SPG and 4 blocks per game while putting up 12.1 RPG to increase her career total to 1,510 rebounds.

“Just consistent every ball game. (Reed) got a lot of blocks. When we pressed, if they beat the press, she did a good job stopping them from getting a layup. Gave me everything she had,” Miller said.

Reed, who hit 1,000 career points this season alongside Grace, is also a reliable scorer under the basket who averaged 8.6 PPG and 3 APG.

The Raiders’ three seniors were not their offensive leaders, but Erica Smith, Reece Shaffer and Sarah Pierce Swift all played key roles.

Smith, a former 100-meter dash state champion, was relied on to pick off passes in Lamar’s full-court press defense. She racked up 4.2 SPG while also putting up 7 RPG, 4.4 PPG and 3 APG.

“Really fast. Really quick,” Miller said. “(Smith) knew her strength was playing defense, and she did that really well.

Shaffer, who averaged 6.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.5 APG and 3 SPG, played mostly behind the 3-point line as Lamar’s sniper.

“(Shaffer) knew so much basketball. She was not tall, not really quick, but a good 3-point shooter, handled the ball well and did a good job blocking out on rebounds and on defense,” Miller said.

Swift, who was relied on for her defensive prowess, was the first player off the bench. She averaged 3 RPG and 1 SPG on defense and 2.6 PPG and 2.7 APG on offense.

“Late in the year (Swift) got more minutes, and I felt very comfortable with her in the ball game,” Miller said. “Even though she was coming off the bench, I look at her as a starter, just like the other five.”

While this Raiders roster underperformed compared to Lamar’s past two 20-win teams, Lamar was devastatingly disruptive on defense and ran like a well-oiled machine on offense more often than not.

“What made us a good team most games was the kids played together. They weren’t selfish. They played hard,” Miller said.