The Perry girls won but a single game in the 2018-2019 basketball season, but, as 2020 nears, the Jayettes are already 4-4 overall despite on 0-3 mark in Raccoon River Conference play.
Hard-earned experience from the last campaign and an increased level of energetic play have been key contributors to the rise in fortunes, as momentum head coach Skylar Wolf clearly hopes continues.
“We still have much to work on, but we are heading in the right direction,” Wolf said recently. “It will be up to us to continue to work hard so we can take those next steps.”
Perry averages 54 points per outing, nearly double the production of last year. The team is shooting 42.1 percent from the floor and 67.4 percent from the line while sinking 47-of-148 (31.8 percent) of their 3-point attempts.
The Jayettes have distributed 79 assists, made 88 steals and are guilty of 118 total turnovers — well done from the same point last year. The squad is pulling down 26.9 rebounds per game, also an improvement.
Senior Molly Lutmer has paved the path, averaging 21.3 points and six rebounds per game. She has 20 steals, has hit 20-of-51 (39.2 percent) of her three-point shots, and her 93.3 percent accuracy at the foul line (28-of-30) is second-best statewide among those with a minimum of 25 attempts.
Lutmer has had plenty of help, as sophomore Jayna Kenney has improved her play considerably while freshman Lydia Olejniczak has stepped nicely into a starting role.
Kenney is scoring 9.1 points per game, has made 14 assists and leads the team with 28 thefts while Olejniczak (10.3 ppg) has 15 assists and 13 steals. Both average seven rebounds per contest, are both 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) beyond the arc and both also shoot above 60 percent from the charity stripe.
Senior Hannah Peterson provides a 6.1 scoring clip per date, with Kennedy Tunink (2.8), Ainsley Marburger (2.6) and Ashley Cerna (1.9) all providing valuable contributions as well.
Perry returns to action Jan. 7 with a trip to Winterset, with Ballard to visit PHS Jan. 10.
