Adams fills multiple roles for Stagg

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:50AM

Two words of advice to those who play defense against Stagg senior Bridget Adams: Hands off.

You don't want to send her to the free-throw line.

The 5-foot-10 guard/forward was 8-of-8 over two games last week, improving her season total to 41-of-45 (91.1 percent).

She's good at the line. Crazy good.

"Honestly, it's just like a layup for me," Adams said. "I just have practiced (free throws) so long I'm really comfortable when I get to the line."

Adams, who said her favorite role is that of a shooting guard, has been a real need-filler for Stagg during her varsity basketball career.

Last season, she took over the point guard position when starter Brittany Bixman was lost to an injury.

This season, Chargers coach Bill Turner asked Adams to use her height to help under the basket.

"Nothing to stress over," she said. "I just play where I've got to play. Honestly, coach Turner tells us all the time that we've got all posts and all guards on the team.

"When my team needs rebounds, I'm going to get rebounds. And if I have to play underneath the basket defensively, that's definitely not a problem."

Adams is averaging 9.6 points per game and has connected on 17 3-pointers. Last week she poured in 19 points against Oak Forest and 18 against Thornton.

The rebounds, meanwhile, are coming as well. Adams pulled down 16 in the two games last week.

"I think she's beginning to find her shooting touch now," Turner said. "Since she's never played inside before, I think it just took her some time to get acclimated to it. But she's coming along and is going to be fine there the rest of the year."

Making their marks

Two former Southland stars played key roles in a real college basketball stunner Dec. 30 when Parkland College beat National Junior College Division I powerhouse Central Arizona 83-78 at the Pima Classic in Tucson, Ariz.

Sophomore Amanda Boyd (Lincoln-Way Central) contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, and freshman Kristyne Smyth (Oak Forest) scored nine points and handed out a career-high eight assists.

Central Arizona, which has made five straight appearances at the D-I national tournament, had won 53 of its previous 55 games and hadn't lost to an NJCAA Division II program since 2007.

Joining the club

Morgan Park Academy senior Kierra Morris said a key to getting a scholarship to the University of Illinois was playing for Mac Irvin's Lady Fire club team.

"This summer was my first time playing AAU ball," Morris said. "That was kind of the first time people could see me and I got some notice.

"I had a lot of scouts looking at me and trying to big-time recruit. Words can't describe how excited I am to be playing for a D-I school like the U of I."

Morris said she received offers from the University of Memphis, Notre Dame, Howard and Tulsa.

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