MaKayli Vann makes outside shots for Plano on offense, and cleans up the glass inside on defense.
In other words, she’s everywhere.
Vann, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, sure was Thursday. Her fast start in her first season in Plano after transferring from Indian Creek hardly missed a beat.
Vann scored 20 points — 16 in the first half — and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead the visiting Reapers to a 45-37 Interstate Eight win over Lisle.
Vann played primarily on the perimeter for Indian Creek last year, helping lead the Timberwolves to third place in Class 1A. That only fits part of her job description at Plano, where she’s the Reapers’ tallest starter.
“That’s kind of my job, is to rebound, because we have so little size,” Vann said. “I have to play inside, outside. I do a lot of that.”
It’s a big reason why the Reapers (9-2, 5-0) are in a three-way tie for first place in the conference, and have nearly flipped their record through 11 games from last year.
Plano has lost just once with Vann in the lineup, in overtime to Newark the first week. The Reapers led by as many as 17 points Thursday, holding off a late Lisle rally.
Demetra Phylactos added 14 points and MaKenzie Vann had eight rebounds for Plano. Nicole Cyranoski led Lisle with 14 points.
“It’s a huge win for our program,” Plano coach John Chernick said. “We haven’t had this kind of start here in a long, long time. The credit goes to the girls.”
Vann was a big shot-maker at Indian Creek last year. She hit the game-winning 3-pointer in a sectional final.
New school, but some things haven’t changed.
In the first minute Thursday Vann hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, stole the ball at the other end, assisted sister MaKenzie Vann’s layup and blocked a Lisle shot.
“I came out with a lot of energy,” Vann said. “Making that first shot gave me a boost of confidence.”
Vann was just getting started.
She hit four 3-pointers in the first half, and was 6-for-11 from the field. Vann’s pull-up 3-pointer had the Reapers ahead 21-6 midway through the second quarter. It was 23-9 by halftime.
Meanwhile, Lisle missed its first 15 shots, and Vann was dominating the defensive boards.
Chernick has only coached Vann for a few months, but he knows at times the best offense is to just let his star go.
More Top Picks Bose Tv Speaker
“She just has a sense of when we need her to score and other times when she can be a contributor,” Chernick said. “She felt like her shot was on and it certainly was early. When she’s hot like that she can carry us.”
Vann and her sister’s first year in Plano seems to be going as well as could be expected.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Vann said. “We came in not really knowing what to expect. For us to be undefeated in conference, I think it’s very good.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer by The Beacon-News.