Stillwater NewsPress

High School Sports

January 25, 2012

Stillwater High School's Iven stepping up in new role

By Jason Elmquist Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — The start of the junior season was a rocky one for Stillwater High girls basketball player Austyn Iven.

The Lady Pioneers starting point guard her first two years in the program was no longer a third or fourth scoring option. She was being relied upon to be the No. 2 scorer — behind senior LaNesha Middleton — thus drawing better defenders in games.

“It’s just been a case of getting her confidence back. Last year she was our third option and generally brought the third or fourth best defender,” SHS coach Carl Treat said. “This year, she’s typically drawing the best on-ball defender for every team we face. Everybody knows her now because she’s higher up on the scouting reporters and was just getting a lot of defensive attention early on.

“Any time you get that, it takes a little time to adjust. And she’s adjusted well and is just playing really well now.”

But as the season has progressed, Iven has adjusted to the tougher defenders. And as her scoring has improved, so too have the Lady Pioneers.

The SHS girls squad is riding a seven game winning streak and in that time, Iven has been averaging double digits in scoring. In the Moore John Nobles Tournament over the weekend, she scored 20 against Moore, a team-high 18 against Lawton Ike and 16 points against No. 9-ranked Muskogee in the championship game.

Iven was named to the all-tournament team and is this week’s Stillwater Athlete of the Week.

“I’ve been getting some open looks and my teammates have just gotten the ball to me,” Iven said. “And I’ve been making my shots. A lot of it has been the transition, with LaNesha getting the rebound and pushing it because that’s how we score the easiest.”

The point position under Treat isn’t the most enjoyable, however. The SHS coach has always said point guard is the position he is most critical of his system.

“Every year she just gets better and better and better. She’s just playing really well and the Muskogee game was a perfect example of her maturity,” Treat said. “Early in that game, she made a few mistakes and we dug a hole, but she kept her head and responded well and ended up scoring 10 points in the first half and really got us going offensively.”

But Iven has taken it all in stride now in her third year getting earfuls from Treat.

“He does yell at me, but I just have to listen to what he’s saying because he’s telling me the right things and trying to help me when I mess,” Iven said. “He is just trying to get me the offense back going.”

Honorable Mention

LaNesha Middleton,

girls basketball

Tanner Killam,

boys basketball

Carson Teel,

boys basketball

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