Girls Basketball: Bowman uses trio for success

Updated: February 14, 2012 9:35PM

GARY — It may have been the longest drive Bowman girls basketball coach Janora Holmes has ever made to an interview.

Two Sundays ago, the fifth-year coach hopped into her car and made the two-hour drive to Indianapolis to be a guest on the live IHSAA playoff pairings show. She was also allowed to bring a Bowman player with her. Though the moment was a celebration of the Eagles’ present, Holmes choose to bring a player who best represents Bowman’s future, 6-2 freshman center/forward Joshlynn King.

“Joshlynn is a newcomer on being at the high school level, being involved in sectionals,” Holmes said. “I definitely wanted her to get the exposure so she’ll know that we’re expecting big years out of her.”

But as Bowman’s opponents in last week’s River Forest Sectional found out, it’s not a good idea to hit the fast forward button on the Eagles just yet. Far from it. After winning their second straight sectional title and first in their maiden voyage in Class 2A, the Eagles will take a five-game winning streak into the Rochester Regional with their first opponent being Winimac.

The face of the Bowman girls team remains guard Princess German, but the Eagles have a good second and third option. One is King, who gives the Eagles a strong post presence. The other option is forward Rashanda Dunlap, who picked a good time of the season to get her “A” game going.

“Rashanda has created balance for us during the postseason and towards the end of the regular season,” Holmes said. “She’s the type of player that whenever we’ve asked her to step up, she’s done that.”

A good example of that was in the sectional semifinal against Whiting, when Dunlap backed up German’s 24-point night with 22 points of her own in the Eagles’ 68-55 win.

“Rashanda is a great teammate,” German said. “We have a good chemistry together and she’s been a great teammate the four years we’ve been here. And she is funny. If we have a down practice, she would say something and have everybody laughing and change the mood of the practice.”

Dunlap’s sense of humor was severly tested Monday with a trip to the dentist which made her unavailable for an interview for this story.

The versatile Dunlap, who Holmes says can play guard if neccesary, is averaging a double-double this season, including 11 points in the Bowman 70-54 sectional final win over Wheeler.

In that same game, it was King proving she was ready for her first sectional closeup with 21 points.

“I’ve learned that you have to take everything seriously,” King said. “You can’t be lazy, you have to hustle for everything. It’s defintely harder than it was in middle school.”

Proof that, as with most freshmen, she is a work in progress, regardless of talent.

“She needs to be a little quicker on her feet, especially on defense,” German said. “She’s been growing with us and her game has picked up and she’s doing very well.”

The growth process continues this weekend for King and her teammates.

“I’m a little nervous but I’m excited at the same time,” King said. “I can’t wait.”

What awaits is a Winimac team (18-5) that comes in having won of 11 of its last 12 (same as Bowman) and is two years removed from winning a regional title.

“We need to improve on some of the things we’ve been working on and focus on defense and try to play the best game we can,” said Holmes.

Bowman (18-6) has the star player in German to lead, but it’s players such as Dunlap and King who will decide if Holmes’ trip to the state’s capital two weeks ago will be followed up by another trip in two weeks to Terre Haute for the state finals.

“Last year we were nervous because it was our first time in the regionals,” Holmes said. “We didn’t know what to expect. But now the seniors are taking more control to help the younger girls learn how to adapt. Although this will be another learning experience, we look to play hard and try to move down the line towards semistate.”

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