CENTERBURG – Before the season started, senior Jacklyn Nussbaum lamented her move back to the post to help make an already strong unit even more formidable.
But in the games that followed, coach Tim Maceyko decided to move Nussbaum back to the point, and the Freddies took off.
“I think playing outside helps me see the court a little bit better,” Nussbaum said. “Attacking the basket (from the outside) opens it up for me and other players on our team. So it’s just easier to get assists that way and keeps me outside to shoot with Summer (Weller).”
After a 44-30 victory at Centerburg on Saturday, Jan. 2, and a 55-44 win at Danville on Monday, Jan. 4 — both in Knox Morrow Athletic Conference play — Fredericktown has run off seven wins in a row.
“What we’ve found is that we have several girls that can play in the post,” Maceyko said. “But we needed senior leadership out there on the guard so that we can control the tempo, control the offense — kinda direct things. She started to do that.”
Nussbaum went for 10 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, two assists and a pair of blocks for the Freddies (8-3, 4-2) against Centerburg.
“She’s still going inside and hitting the boards and doing those things,” Maceyko said. “But she’s also able to step outside, hit some shots and be that leader that we’ve been looking for. She’s a captain and she’s really growing into that. I’ve very proud of her.”
She followed up that performance by scoring 14 points against Danville. It was the fifth time in the last six games she reached double figures after not doing so in the Freddies’ first five games.
Nussbaum, who is averaging 8.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game through the first 10 games this season, is a nice added punch to go with Gabby Daniels, who scored 10 points against the Blue Devils on Monday. Grace Sipes also chipped in 10 points against Danville.
Daniels had a stretch of four double-doubles in five games for Fredericktown and is averaging 12.9 points and 9.0 rebounds through the first 10 games this year.
“I think now it’s a team belief like, ‘Hey, we can do this,’” Maceyko said. “I think they really believe in themselves a lot more than they have. We still have a lot of turnovers that we need to cut down. But they’re going hard.”
Defense has been a big factor in the Freddies’ success, allowing less than 40 points in six of their 10 games. They are 1-3 in games where they’ve allowed more than 40 points. The Freddies are also averaging 35.7 rebounds and 20.0 steals per game through 10 games this season.
“We came into the season saying defense had to improve,” Maceyko said. “I think (we’re) seeing that. I think we’re averaging 38 points per game — and last year we gave up 55 or something like that. I think that’s a key.”
Against the Freddies, Centerburg was led by Chloe Goulter, who had nine points, three rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals. Makenna Martindale and Avery Tucker added five points apiece, and Rebecca Scholl chipped in four points. Tucker also had seven steals and four rebounds, Scholl had four rebounds and four steals, and Martindale had three steals for the Trojans (3-9, 2-5).
Danville (7-2, 4-2) was led by Brooklyn Hess and Broegan Staats, who scored 20 and 10 points, respectively, against Fredericktown.
