Fourth-year varsity player Maggie Berigan doesn’t hesitate when asked about her role with the Hersey girls basketball team.
“My job is to be our main post presence, to know when to take the ball to the hoop, and to know when to kick it out to an open shooter when I draw double-teams — which happens a lot,” Berigan said. “My other job is to draw defenders away from the basket sometimes, so it clears room for our guards to use their speed to drive the lane.”
The 6-foot center is also the Huskies’ lone senior starter alongside four juniors. As a result, she’s added a leadership role to her resume.
“She’s not someone who feels the need to be a cheerleader out there and force her teammates into doing something, but she’s not afraid to point things out when she sees something isn’t right,” Hersey coach Mary Fendley said. “Maggie is sort of a calm, steadying influence on everyone around her. She’s always finding ways to make those around her better, and works tirelessly improving different aspects of her own game, too.”
Watching film of her opponents — and herself — is one of her favorite pastimes.
“We watch a lot of film as a team, and I spend time studying my opponents on my own also,” Berigan said. “I diligently watch and look for all the little details others might not notice. It may sound strange, but watching film helps keep my confidence up, because when I spot something, I know it’s something I can use to make a difference next time I’m on the court.”
That includes being critical of her own game when necessary.
“The one thing I’m really working on is paying attention to where I am in the post,” Berigan said. “Am I in the right spots? Positioning can be critical. And when I’m watching myself on film, I like to see how often I’m getting into spots and situations where I’m taking decent shots, as compared to when I’m forcing them.”
During Hersey’s heartbreaking loss to Buffalo Grove on Jan. 22, Berigan was in those right spots often. She finished with 10 points, but her great positioning en route to a team-best 14 rebounds was eye-catching. Five of those were offensive boards, with several leading to second-chance points and trips to the free throw line.
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“I was always taught as a younger player to use my body to box out and neutralize the other team’s player before pursuing the ball on a rebound,” said Berigan, who is averaging 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds. “You’ll pull down a lot more boards that way. It doesn’t pay to wildly chase a rebound without having the proper fundamentals behind it.”
Junior teammate Claire Gritt, who surpassed the career 1,000-point milestone on Jan. 9 against New Trier, said Berigan’s team-first mentality may be her biggest asset.
“Maggie, and everyone else on our roster, are all about putting the team first,” said Gritt. “That’s the main reason we’ve been so successful (17-4 to start the week) this season. Maggie leads by example, and she’s helped make sure our team chemistry is as good as it’s become. The younger players follow her lead. Even when she’s not here next year, she will have helped set the tone for future teams.”
Tim Froehlig is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @TFroehlig