Broncos pass their chemistry test

When Alyssa Thomas would return to the location of some of her greatest achievements last season, there was something undeniably missing.

This just wasnt the same Union Grove High School girls basketball team she used to know. These Broncos werent even a reasonable facsimile of the program she started for from 2007-11, when it went 76-20 with two conference championships.

There was still veteran coach Rob Domagalski. There were still talented players. But chemistry? Thomas wasnt seeing much of that.

We had such great chemistry on my team because we had all been playing together since the fourth or fifth grade, said Thomas, now a special education teacher at Union Grove. What I saw last year was a little rough.

What Thomas has been seeing this season is a complete revival. Coming off consecutive seasons of 13-10, 9-14, and 11-13, the Broncos are 16-2, have won 10 straight since their last loss Dec. 13 (47-43 to Case) and are ranked eighth in Division 2 in the most recent Associated Press state poll.

Furthermore, they are 11-0 in the Southern Lakes Conference, one game ahead of Waterford. The two teams meet for the second time this season Tuesday at Waterford (Union Grove defeated Waterford 50-38 Dec. 5 at Union Grove).

So what has Thomas been seeing when she watches her old team these days?

The girls have just been playing with a lot of passion and heart, Ive noticed, Thomas said. Even in practice, theyre always working hard. You can just see how much they care. Theyre doing so well that its just fun to watch.

What has been the basis of such a dramatic transformation? Start with the big three of senior guards Sara Hartl and Jordan Weidner and junior forward Frankie Pettit, whose father, Dave, is Union Groves longtime athletic director. All three have started for multiple seasons and each took their respective games to new levels this season.

The 5-foot-11 Pettit averages 9.0 points and 8.6 rebounds and frequently brings the ball upcourt. The 5-6 Hartl leads the Broncos in scoring (12.7) and has made 39 3-pointers. And Weidner, a veteran point guard, averages 10.1 points and 4.3 assists and has been making the best decisions of her career, Domagalski said.

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Broncos pass their chemistry test