ROGERS — Springdale High girls basketball coach Heather Hunsucker said it’s a case of “pick your poison” when trying to defend Rogers Heritage this season.
Sophomore Emilie Jobst has made Hunsucker and the Lady Bulldogs pay dearly for deciding to allow her open 3-point shots.
Profile
Emilie Jobst
School: Rogers Heritage
Class: Sophomore
Height: 5-foot-6
Notable: Scored 20 points in her first varsity game of the season at Farmington. ... Made a season-high six 3-pointers in Heritage’s win over Springdale Har-Ber. ... Has made 46 3-pointers this season and is shooting 45 percent from the beyond the 3-point arc. ... Averaging 8.6 points per game.
She made nine 3-pointers in two Heritage wins over Springdale this season, but Hunsucker said it’s a case of having to cover several different options.
“She’s a very good shooter,” Hunsucker said. “But they run an excellent offense, and it’s kind of pick your poison. Do you give a senior a layup or a sophomore a 3-pointer? We’re just playing the percentages.”
But Springdale isn’t the only team Jobst has burned from the outside.
She has knocked down numerous big perimeter shots for the Lady War Eagles (17-5, 7-2 7A/6A-West Conference), who are tied for second in the league.
Heritage coach Kevin Ramey needs a couple of minutes to rattle off the big baskets Jobst has hit to help the Lady War Eagles get key wins.
She had a season-high six 3-pointers against Springdale Har-Ber and hit five against Springdale earlier this season, along with four in Tuesday’s win over the Lady Bulldogs.
But Ramey also points out Jobst’s 3-pointer in the fourth quarter in the finals of the Battle at the Brier in December.
“Her three gave us the lead in a game we were really stymied offensively,” Ramey said. “She didn’t flinch.”
Jobst hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter and help Heritage break away from Fayetteville. The 5-foot-6 sophomore hit another earlier in the half with 6-foot Aubrey Edie in her face.
Jobst admitted to still having bouts of nerves before games, but Ramey said it’s hard to tell.
“She’s got such confidence, she never bats an eye really,” Ramey said. “I think her teammates have confidence in her, and we have confidence in her as a coaching staff.
“The thing we told her is go for it and play and do what you do best and that’s shoot the basketball.”
Jobst credited Heritage’s seniors, especially Brittany Ward, for helping make her transition to high school basketball a smooth one.
“She’s in my ear reminding me of things, and I’ve learned a lot from her,” Jobst said. “The seniors have kept me up, even if I wasn’t shooting well. They just tell me, ‘Leep shooting.’”
Ramey got to give Jobst a test run over the summer at some teams camps since Ward was still rehabbing from a knee injury. He said the work at point guard helped Jobst ease her way into the high school game.
“I think one of the things that helped her mature and grow up is her work this summer,” Ramey said. “She went all spring and summer with the ball in her hands as our point guard. I think it was a really good thing for her development.”
Jobst’s role as a scorer will likely increase next season since she’s the only underclassman in the starting lineup this year. But Ramey isn’t nervous.
“The thing that excites you is she can do a lot of things,” Ramey said. “She can put the ball on the floor, and she does a great job defensively on the back of our zone. As we move down the road, the ball will be in her hands more next year.”
For the remainder of this season, though, Jobst is happy to be a part of a Heritage team that is the best in the school’s short history.