By Nate Beutel
Natalie Whitman hasn’t known what to do the past three days. The Lady Spartans have been off as they gear up for Friday’s ECIC II showdown with Iroquois.
“When coach said we didn’t have practice on Saturday for the first time all year, I said to myself, ‘What am I I going to do?’” Whitman said with a chuckle Monday. “My love of basketball has really grown the last year or so. I have a passion for the game.”
First-year Starpoint varsity coach Shanna Klumpp noticed that from day one.
“She works her tail off every day because she loves the game,” the coach said of her senior captain. “She’s willing to put in the effort and this year, she’s really stepped up to the plate.”
Whitman, who was a solid performer alongside Andi Ridge a year ago, has taken her game to another level this winter. She’s currently averaging 22 points and 13 rebounds per game, both team highs. She even has a pair of 30-point games to her credit this season.
“My game has become more versatile,” she said, while crediting her offseason work with both Klumpp and her AAU team, Western New York Elite. “I can score inside and outside now.”
She’s also a more confident player, admitting that signing with Division II St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College (N.C.) in November’s NCAA early signing period put her at ease.
“I feel real good about my decision,” she said. “It was a real weight off my shoulders. I’m not worried about anything. I’m playing more relaxed.”
That’s good because Klumpp added a few responsibilities to her plate this season. Not only has she asked Whitman to be a scorer, but also a leader and defensive stopper of sorts. Whitman has met the challenge in both regards, according to Klumpp.
“Nat, along with (senior point guard) Catie Hale, has done a great job of molding this team,” Klumpp said. “She’s been a great leader ... And defensively, she’s really playing that passing lane hard. It’s paying off with more steals and layups for her this year.”
It’s also paying dividends in the win column for the Lady Spartans, who currently sit at 7-4 overall and 5-3 in the league. They are coming off a big win over reigning league champion Sweet Home last Friday.
“We need to build off that win,” Whitman said. “That was the key, beating Sweet Home. Now we get another crack at Williamsville East and Iroquois. We’re excited.”
NATALIE WHITMAN
• SCHOOL: Starpoint
• SPORT: Girls basketball
• GRADE: Senior
• POSITION: Forward
• STATS: Team leader with 22 points and 13 rebounds per game
• COACH’S QUOTE: “… she’s really stepped up to the plate.”
— Shanna Klumpp
