Senior guard Alyssa Hughes has grown up in front of St. Charles North coach Mike Tomczak.
When you’re in the same place for a while, coaches can witness a player’s development over a number of years. Tomczak has seen that in Hughes, a Washington St. Louis recruit.
And she has turned into the leader for the unbeaten North Stars.
“Her game has evolved a lot since she was a freshman or sophomore,” Tomczak said. “She was more of a spot-up shooter. She’s worked on her body. She’s stronger. More physical.
“There are a lot of elements to her game that she’s worked on over the years.”
Hughes went to work Tuesday night, leading all scorers with 23 points on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point range in a 62-25 nonconference victory over Oswego East.
“I think I’ve become more of a leader over the four years,” Hughes said. “I’m more confident.”
The North Stars (5-0) are employing a frenetic pressure defense this season, but Oswego East (1-4) got through that defense early to take a 10-7 lead and force a timeout.
“We definitely started a little slow,” Hughes said. “After that timeout, we remembered who we were and came out with a lot more intensity.”
Tomczak realizes those things can happen when adapting to a new style.
“It’s out of our comfort zone, for sure,” Tomczak said. “There are some nights where it’s not going to look so great — case in point, the first five minutes. We didn’t look like we knew what we were doing.
“If we can generate more possessions, if we can make teams uncomfortable, with our ability to shoot the basketball from the outside, I think we can be pretty good this year.”
After the timeout, the North Stars went on a whopping 27-0 run to blow the game open.
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The duo of Hughes and junior guard Reagan Sipla, along with stifling defense, fueled the burst. They each scored 10 points in that stretch. Sipla finished with 21 points.
“A huge thing is she has players around her,” Tomczak said of Hughes. “You can’t really key on her. If you key on her, Reagan will give you 40 (points).
“They’re step for step in terms of efficiency. They’re playing well together, which is great. If you have a combination of players like that, you can do some really cool things.”
Oswego East, meanwhile, is adjusting to life without Riley Doggett, the Wolves’ leading scorer the past two seasons. She tore her ACL over the summer.
“The rest of the team has to step up and learn from this game,” Oswego East coach Abe Carretto said. “If you want to compete at a higher level, this is the kind of team you have to play.
“We’ll get there. That was probably one of the better teams we’ve played. I just thought their pressure up top was tough to deal with.”
Ava Valek paced the Wolves with 10 points.
Hughes said the team’s new style was an adjustment, but the North Stars have settled in.
“We definitely like it,” Hughes said. “We’re a fast team, so I think the tempo is definitely a lot higher running such an intense defense.
“It’s honestly just a communication thing. We communicate and the defense looks great. It’s great to see the defense working well.”
Tomczak said that’s another part of Hughes’ development — her leadership. It’s at the center of St. Charles North’s terrific start to the season.
“She’s grown so much as a person and as a leader over the years,” Tomczak said. “She’s more of a vocal leader, and someone you can relate to and have conversations with.
“I’m proud of how far she’s come.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.