Tri?nity girls basketball coach Kim Coleman loves to see leadership from her players. At the Dundee-Crown Charger-Komaromy Christmas Classic, Coleman saw leadership in junior captain Maddie Miller.
Upon returning to River Forest after a 47-45 loss to Barrington on Thursday, Miller immediately went to the Blazers gymnasium to work on her shooting.
“I’ve been having a rough time shooting,” Miller said. “So, I went back to school and used the shooting machine, taking like 300 shots. It helped me get my confidence.”
Coleman said the commitment that Miller brings to the Blazers is above and beyond what might be expected.
“Maddie is one of the key leaders for our team times 10,” Coleman said. “To actually go back to Trinity after our loss and work on her shot displays the leadership she has for our team.”
Miller scored two points and had four rebounds against Barrington but found plenty of ways to contribute for the Blazers.
Barrington stretched a two-point halftime lead to nine points midway point of the third quarter. But the Blazers ran off eight straight points to get right back into the game. Junior Makiyah Williams scored five of those points, including a 3-pointer. During the run, Miller grabbed two of her rebounds, with the second one resulting in a putback basket.
Williams’ basket in the final minute of the fourth quarter gave the Blazers a 45-44 lead. After a Barrington free throw, Trinity had the ball with eight seconds on the clock. But an offensive foul gave the ball back to the Fillies, who sank two free throws with three seconds on the clock for the victory.
“It’s the little things that hurt us in the game,” Coleman said. “We’ve just got to be better defensively.”
Williams led an efficient Blazers attack with 27 points. She drove to the basket, hit mid-range jumpers and showed her outside shooting ability with three 3-pointers. She also supplied a game-high nine rebounds to go along with three blocked shots, two assists and two steals.
Senior Lauren Saleh had seven points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Coleman praised Williams for her production against the Fillies, but she also praised Miller for her own contributions. Coleman pointed out that Miller moves well without the ball, makes sure everyone is in the right position and gets the ball to the open player.
“I just want more kids like Maddie Miller,” Coleman said.
“Coach Coleman has helped me with so many things,” Miller added. “We’ve worked on my agility and speed, which has gotten me a lot quicker to guard the ball. I know I have to contribute in different ways.”
Miller used her extra practice time to contribute on the offensive end in the Blazers’ next two contests at the Dundee-Crown tournament, including a loss to Hampshire and a victory against Elgin. Miller had seven and six points, respectively.
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Another Blazers captain, senior Liza Montgomery, has noticed Miller’s impact on the team.
“Maddie is such a great leader,” Montgomery said. “She does so much out there for us.”
Miller is soft-spoken but leads by example, which her teammates said they have noticed.
“She’s the one who is always ready to help us out,” Williams said of Miller. “It’s during the games, but also in practice and after practice.”
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press