Kirstin Summers’ emergence hasn’t surprised Lowell coach Kelly Chavez.
Summers, a 5-foot-8 junior forward who earned a promotion from the junior varsity team around the time of holiday tournaments last season, is leading the Red Devils in scoring.
“Sophomore year, she just really exploded her JV season,” Chavez said. “When we brought her up, the spark she would bring defensively to the game, her fearlessness to the basket, it was contagious. She instantly made an impact. I knew she was going to be a powerhouse for us this year.
“I’ve been watching Kirstin come up through our feeder program. I knew she was a great athlete, but she wasn’t a great basketball player. But I knew she had a ton of potential.”
Summers has been tapping into that potential, averaging 9.7 points and 3.1 rebounds entering Lowell’s regular-season finale against Morgan Township on Thursday. She holds herself to a high standard to produce for the Red Devils (9-14), who lost six seniors from last season’s roster.
“I get mad at myself if I score under double digits,” she said. “I’ve been trying to hit 20, so hopefully I can hit that for sectionals.
“Last season really helped me score more this season because it got all of the nerves out. My teammates push me every day, and it helps me score in games because I’m used to being contested.”
Summers’ high for the Red Devils has been 19 points in a loss to Hobart.
She praised players such as senior guard Reilly Boyer for delivering the ball to her in the post. Boyer, who returned after suffering a torn ACL midway through last season, has adeptly risen to the challenge to fill the void after the graduation of four-year point guard Kaylee Chavez.
“She’s been a big asset to the team,” Boyer said of Summers. “She’s really stepped up this year. She gives us a post presence that’s really crucial for us. For us to be able to hit threes but also to get it to her inside and have her make baskets, it helps a lot to draw the defense. It’s been a really big game-changer for us this year.”
To this point, Summers hasn’t played for an AAU team. But she’s planning to join one this year — at the expense of playing softball. A catcher and outfielder for Lowell in the previous two years, she arrived at the not-easy decision to stop playing that sport in order to focus on basketball.
“She’s never played AAU basketball beyond our feeder program,” Chavez said. “For her to be this great at what she does, it speaks measures of her talent and athletic mentality and the work she puts in on the floor.
“She’s a hard worker. There’s not a girl who will outwork her on this court at a practice or a game.”
Summers has aspirations to play in college, particularly in Florida. She called Florida Gulf Coast “my dream school,” aware of its Division I status.
“I want to get somewhere in Florida if I can,” she said. “I go on vacation there all the time. My grandparents live there. I go to Disney a lot. I just love Florida.”
Chavez wouldn’t doubt Summers’ ability to achieve her Sunshine State scenario.
“She brings a really great spark offensively to the team,” Chavez said. “No one else on our team has that desire to score that she has. She’s relentless. She plays taller than she is. She’s probably 5-7, and she goes up against 6-footers and makes it. She’s great under pressure.
“She even brings the defensive energy. She’s a great anticipator. She’s one of the best all-around athletes we have on the team, if not the best.”