ROGERS -- A mix of added maturity and confidence have been just the right ingredients to help Rogers High's Elise Randels blossom into a go-to player this season.
The 5-foot-10 senior combines a blend of size and athleticism to make her a tough matchup against both true post players and smaller ones alike on the basketball court, Lady Mounties coach Preston Early said.
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At A Glaance
ELISE RANDELS
SCHOOL Rogers High
CLASS Senior
HEIGHT 5-10
NOTABLE Scored a career-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds in last week’s loss to Springdale High. .. Averaging a team-high 14.1 points and 6.2 rebounds to go with more than two blocked shots per game. … A three-year starter for the Lady Mounties, earned all-conference honors as a junior and honorable mention all-conference as a sophomore. … Averaged team-best 11.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last year and 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds as a sophomore. … Finished second in the high jump in the Class 5A-7A state indoor track and field championships on Saturday with a clearance of 5 feet, 5 inches and was third in the 7A state outdoor meet last season by clearing 5-3 and Meet of Champions as a junior, also second in 7A state meet as a sophomore.
"One thing, she's very comfortable with who she is," Early said. "It took her a while being comfortable with being a go-to player and the requirements that go with that. I love where she is mentally."
Randels was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Lady Mounties (13-8, 5-3 7A-West) last season. She's taken that to a higher level this season, averaging 14 points, five rebounds and more than two blocked shots for a Rogers team that is tied for third in the 7A-West Conference one game into the second round of league play. Heritage plays host to crosstown rival Rogers Heritage tonight.
Randels knew she would play more of the role as a post player, which she admitted made her uncomfortable.
"I was so scared of that position because I had always grown up as a guard," Randels said. "I hadn't ever been on that side of the floor when we were practicing. But I'm happy with it. I have been able to fill a different role. With the coaches' help and the team's help I've been able to fill the position that the team needed."
She showed off her athleticism this weekend finishing second in the high jump at the Class 5A-7A state indoor track and field championships, about 12 hours after helping the Lady Mounties pick up a big conference win at Springdale Har-Ber. Randels cleared 5 feet, 5 inches and just missed three attempts at a state record of 5-6 1/4.
Early sold Randels on the ability to let her utilize her quickness and athleticism to create mismatches in the post, where few players who have her height also have her quickness and ball-handling skills.
"I told her 'We're not trying to make you a grinder,'" Early said. "But she's taken it and ran with it this year. We want her to be unconventional and use those guard skills to her advantage."
Randels' senior season was temporarily derailed when she suffered a dislocated left thumb in practice in mid-December. But Early credited that added maturity, which helped her return two weeks sooner than originally thought.
"It frustrated her some, but she handled it great,' Early said. "She took maybe two days off when she got her thumb straightened out. She did full conditioning workouts and really she did everything she could except use her left hand. She shot right-handed free throws."
Doctors released her one day before the Lady Mounties' 7A-West Conference opener. The fact she stayed in good condition and kept a basketball in her hand is what allowed her to play in that first league game, Early said.
"Don't discount how mentally tough she had to be," Early said. "A dislocation is a gruesome injury. It hurt. But she wasn't scared at all when she came back. She stuck that left hand right in there."
Randels still plays with a soft brace and a wrap on her left hand. Initially in practice, it was a hindrance, but she doesn't think about it in a game.
"I remember dribbling through the cones I felt like I just had a stump, but by the end of practice it was fine," Randels said. "In a game, I almost don't realize it's there."
Sports on 02/07/2017