and pg 5 12-12-19
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And then there is Croft
Elisha Clinckscale’s got it figured out. The Putnam Science Academy girls’ varsity basketball player looks around her team and sees different talents from each girl.
There are those who can defend, those who can pass, those who can rebound, those who dribble and drive, those who shoot it well.
And then, Clinkscale says, there is Zanashia Croft.
“Zanashia can do all of them,” she said. “She can do everything. She’s just that type of player. There’s not much I can say about that girl other than she is a bucket. She’s always knocking shots down. But I trust her on defense too, blocking shots, rebounding. She does it all for us.”
Through the Mustangs’ first three games this season — all wins by the way — Croft, a freshman from New London, has scored 22, 26, and 34 points, respectively.
First-year coach Katurah Andrews loves watching Croft play, saying she knows her way around the court. Andrews also said Croft can sometimes get in her own head, but when she is able to break free of that, as she was in the team’s most recent game against Commonwealth Academy on Dec. 5, look out.
“She was awesome, on both ends of the floor,” Andrews said. “She pretty much did everything that we needed her to do. That’s going to be her role for us this year I think. She can score and she can play great defense. We’re going to need her to keep doing those things for us.”
Croft plays all over the floor for the Mustangs but is most comfortable in the backcourt as opposed to in the post. She brought the ball up the floor the majority of the time versus Commonwealth, which suited her well too.
“I take pride in the fact that I’m not just an offensive player,” Croft said. “I’m definitely stronger on offense but I try to do my best on defense and help in some way, however I can.
“This season so far for me, I’ve been pretty excited about it. I’m glad to be on this team and play with this group of girls. I think I started off pretty good in preseason but now I’m coming on stronger and doing better in practice and the games. I can feel my confidence rise with each game and during games. Once I’ve made a couple of shots, I realize that most of them are probably going in when I set my feet and have the right form.”
Croft and her family have dedicated themselves to make the ride up from New London each day for school and the oftentimes late-night practices. It could have been a lot easier, in some ways at least, to stay home and attend New London High. But that didn’t really cross her mind.
“I decided to come here for basketball. It’s a good program,” Croft said. “My goals are to work hard and keep on pushing. Long-term, it’s to have colleges lined up for me to choose from and then pick the best fit for me and go play there.
“This is a better fit for me than New London would have been for those things. I’m really happy I’m here.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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