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Unrelenting defense is Park Center guard's claim to game

By Star Tribune, 03/24/15, 6:30PM CDT

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Park Center’s unrelenting team defense spurred its run to a second consecutive Class 3A girls’ basketball state championship.

Park Center’s unrelenting team defense spurred its run to a second consecutive Class 3A girls’ basketball state championship.

Each of the Pirates’ three vanquished foes turned the ball over at least 21 times. A commitment to defense fueled key reserve Feyisayo Ayobamidele. The sophomore guard threw herself into her role, running at top speed for short bursts.

“She’s special because she leaves it all on the floor,” Park Center coach Chris VanderHyde said. “She plays defense with a lot of desire.”

Accepting a defensive focus, Ayobamidele admits, took time. Like most young players, she grew up dreaming of hitting big shots rather than locking down on defense.

She spoke with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about growing into her role, the thrill of repeating and the challenge to do it all again the next two seasons.

 

Q: What sort of message does Park Center winning a second consecutive state title send to the greater basketball community?

A: It shows that our basketball team has a lot of talent and a lot of pride in ourselves. To come back and win another state championship was really encouraging. It was really fun, and it was really difficult. It shows how much we care about each other and how much we love the game of basketball.

 

Q: Defense is about desire, and Chris said you bring a lot of desire. Have you always been that type of player?

A: It took me a while to accept my role because I used to always want to be a scorer. I wanted to be the one who got the spotlight. But then I realized that my talent is to be a defensive stopper. So that’s what I tried to emphasize toward the end of the season.

 

Q: Chris said he has challenged your offensive game. How has that process been going?

A: It’s been really hard, actually. I have to find where my strengths are, and as of right now, that’s penetrating the paint.

 

Q: You scored 11 points in the title game against Marshall, one less than your season high. Did you take any extra satisfaction from that performance?

A: I don’t really mind about the points. I’m just happy that our team won another state championship.

 

Q: How challenging was this season for you?

A: I went through a lot this season. I had to work through some mental stuff. I had to focus on the team, and my role was to bring defensive energy. I used to think, ‘How come I don’t get the ball more to score?’ That really bothered me for a while. But then I talked to my mom and coach Chris and they told me that my offensive game will come when I emphasize my defense. I listened to them, and that’s how I was able to score 11 points in that game.

 

Q: What makes Park Center’s defense so effective?

A: We emphasize guarding the paint. We try not to let our opponents score many layups. If they make a couple of three-pointers, that’s fine because most teams won’t make a lot. So we try to take away the inside.

 

Q: You’ve got two more years of varsity basketball ahead. How will you find a balance in terms of playing hard, yet keeping yourself on the floor to play more minutes?

A: It’s a great challenge for me because my body isn’t used to going full speed all the time. I can go full speed for about four minutes. I’m going to have to train my body to play at that speed constantly.

 

Q: Next season your program moves up to Class 4A. What are you already thinking about in terms of that challenge?

A: I know we always have to keep a positive mind-set. Because we’re moving up to 4A we have to play harder, play tougher defense and get more effective on offense.

DAVID LA VAQUE

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