Nazareth junior guard Sophia Towne can do so many things well on a basketball court that it’s hard to decide which one is best.
But Nazareth coach Eddie Stritzel has an opinion.
“She’s in wonderful shape,” Stritzel said. “She ran cross country, so her motor doesn’t stop.
“I think her best part is her motor. You never have to worry about her tiring.”
The Roadrunners think they can make a legitimate run at the Class 4A state championship this season. Senior forward Stella Sakalas, who is committed to BYU, is one of the best players in the state.
But Towne might be the linchpin. She can influence a game in many different ways, including scoring, facilitating and playing defense.
Stritzel said the latter facet was the key to Nazareth’s 76-40 rout of previously unbeaten Glenbard West at Fremd’s Dave Yates Chicagoland Showcase on Dec. 6.
“She just causes so many problems on the top of our zone,” Stritzel said.
The 5-foot-10 Towne was so disruptive that the Hilltoppers (7-1) shot just 2-for-12 and made five turnovers in the first quarter. Sakalas scored 14 points and Towne had six points, three rebounds and three assists in the quarter as the Roadrunners (6-0) shot out to a 27-7 lead.
Sakalas finished with a game-high 33 points and nine rebounds. Several of her baskets came off feeds from Towne, who contributed 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
“She’s had a huge impact,” Sakalas said of Towne. “Sophia leads by example and people follow her.
“People listen to her word and how she plays, so it’s been so fun getting to play with Sophia for so many years. She really does bring determination and effort to the court and off the court.
“She’s diving for every ball, she’s looking for assists, she’s looking to score and she’s just looking to elevate the game on the floor.”
Towne has been on varsity since she was a freshman. She moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and now serves as a role model for freshmen Mia Gage, Hillary Whorlow and Audrey Wendt. The 5-11 Gage starts and the 6-1 Whorlow and 5-9 Wendt are in the rotation.
“We got a few new good freshmen, so each practice we’ve been focusing on getting them up to date on the defense and the offense,” Towne said. “I feel like that focus has brought us all together.
“I feel like just making sure they know the plays and know the switches on defense is really important to the team. That’s how they’re going to play. (Listening to older players) is what I would do freshman year.”
Towne is capable of shooting the lights out. She demonstrated that ability by hitting 8 of 12 shots against Glenbard West, including four 3-pointers.
But Towne is dangerous even when she isn’t looking for her shot.
“She’s so unselfish,” Stritzel said. “She’d rather have two assists than two points.
“Sometimes she’s too unselfish, but it makes it hard to double Stella. We try to put five kids on the court that can all score.”
Towne tries to make sure they all have opportunities to do so.
“I love shooting a lot,” Towne said. “But I also like being able to pass to my teammates, and everyone on our team can score really well.”
That includes senior point guard Lyla Shelton, who scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including three 3-pointers.
“Sophia is really awesome,” Shelton said. “I actually look up to her a lot.
“I knew she was someone who would work hard. She has worked hard for all of her goals and she is a very big inspiration to me.”
Stritzel said Towne has about 15 offers, including several from Big East schools. He isn’t surprised.
“She’s been playing in our (travel) program since fourth grade,” Stritzel said. “We knew she was going to be great.”