Keeghan Gittins
For The New Era
The Sweet Home girls basketball team is off to its best start in years, opening the season with a 6-3 record and earning a No. 15 ranking in the 4A standings.
The Lady Huskies have already surpassed last season’s win total of five games, a significant turnaround after finishing 1-19 two years ago and winning just five games the year before that.
The last season comparable to this start came when the current seniors were in eighth grade, when Sweet Home, led by Brooke Burke, who is now playing at Pacific University, finished 10-14 overall with four nonleague wins.
This year’s success has been fueled by strong leadership from third-year Head coach Erika Evans.
Forward Aaliyah Brown, a junior, is averaging 10.2 points per game, while fellow junior Brooke Elder has also been a key contributor, averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 33% from three on six attempts per game.
The Huskies competed in the Vince Dulcich Tournament, finishing 2-1 with wins over Estacada, 37-33, and Warrenton, 39-31, before falling to Astoria, 60-36.
Evans was not available for comment.
Sweet Home returns to action Tuesday, Jan. 6, against Sisters, which will be in the league the Huskies will compete in next year when they drop down to the 3A division.