Triton junior Hannah Wanemacher will likely have an increased role this season. (File photo by Mike Deak)

BOURBON – It was a tale of two seasons for the Triton girls basketball program last winter.

It was fast becoming one to forget before Christmas, where the Lady Trojans had started 1-7 through its home tournament, and had reached double-digits losses by the holiday break. But the light bulb turned on in January as Triton won five of its last six regular season games, including closing out a sweep of the Hoosier North Athletic Conference with its win at North Judson Jan. 29.

Several of the key components of that conference championship team will return this season, and hope to gel to avoid a heartbreaking two-point sectional loss that pulled the curtain on last season.

Part of the hook in Triton’s difficult start a season ago was the initiation of the volleyball players into basketball season. The Trojans reached the regional round in 2015, combined with three games the first 13 days of November against quality opponents, and Triton was already staring down the eight ball. The basketball team will likely be in a similar scenario this season as the volleyball team reached regionals for the third straight time with its core group all in volleyball mode.

“Volleyball makes the beginning of our season very difficult as it does for many other schools, but we hope we can build off of the success the girls are seeing,” stated Triton head coach Adam Heckaman, who is entering his ninth season on the bench. “We (had) six of our 14 girls playing volleyball and all six of them will probably see considerable varsity time. I think much like last year we will have to feel our way through the first few games of the season and work to improve each night. We play a very difficult schedule and we will again look to that to help us improve come conference and sectional time.”

Heckaman, whose first win this year will be the 100th of his career, will have some quality returners. Senior Quinn Downing has handled guard duty and will likely run some point again this year. Junior Hannah Wanemacher could be the key to the team’s fortunes, returning from a stellar sophomore season that had her score 14 points per game and hit shot after huge shot for the Trojans in its conference championship run.

Juniors Charlotte Morris, Nicole Sechrist and Courtney Jennings all come in from the volleyball success. Morris came along as last season went along and was the second-leading returning rebounder on the team at just over four caroms per night, the leader being Sechrist at 4.5 per game. The two added about eight points per game to the total. Jennings saw limited time as a sophomore but is expected to see an increased role this winter.

Junior Sarah Stevens got into almost every game last year as a role guard, and managed over 20 steals and 30 rebounds.

Heckaman didn’t go into details on a final roster, but noted the junior varsity players from a season ago will have to help patch holes left by the graduation of Jaela Meister, Brooklyn Beatty and Shayla May.

“We will be looking for a wide range of people to step into those spots this year,” noted Heckaman. “I think it’s going to have to be a combination of players from last year playing bigger roles and some newcomers stepping in when needed. I think there will be several players this year that will play much bigger roles on the varsity for us. Our returners will all have to play bigger roles and our JV girls will need to be ready to step in to play when and where needed.”

Triton opens its season Friday, Nov. 4, at home against John Glenn.