Female Recruit

[Captain Kangaroo]

All-star game effort leaves B-C senior thinking about future

By DAVE PURPURA

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MOUNT VERNON - Kristen Black isn't sure what she wants to do after high school.

Part of her wants to go to a southern university and play softball, a feeling reinforced the past few weeks with the start of that sport's regular season.

"Maybe I'd get a better (scholarship) and see some pretty good competition," the Bloom-Carroll senior said Friday night.

And then there's basketball. Black isn't quite sure she's ready to give up that sport, in which she was a successful power forward and averaged 12 points and eight rebounds this year for the district semifinalist Bulldogs.

After her nine-point, eight-rebound performance in the District 11 All-Star Game at Mount Vernon, Black is as torn as ever.

"I don't know yet," said Black, who is considering Ohio Dominican and Otterbein but was approached by a Marietta College scout after the game. "This was a fun game. We ran, which is different than what (Bloom-Carroll) did, and we got to do a lot of what we wanted. It was good to get out there one last time. I'll see what happens."

Black was one of four area players in the game. She and Pickerington Central swingman Lauren Stephenson played together on the South team; Pickerington North's Cydnei Stoudt and Candyce Brown were on the North team, which won 72-64.

Butler University-bound Brown had 12 points, four rebounds and a steal and Stoudt finished with 11 points, seven boards, a steal and an assist for the North, which got two 3-pointers from Licking Heights' Jessica Brink to widen a five-point lead with two minutes left.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I still had it and I was in shape," Brown said. "At the beginning, it was tough to get in the rhythm, but once you play a few minutes, it feels just like another game."

Stephenson, a 6-footer who has been heavily recruited the past few years but was adamant about signing late, verbally committed to Akron two weeks ago and will sign her letter of intent later this month.

She came out with a bang Friday, scoring eight of her 11 points and grabbing all four of her rebounds in the first half of an up-tempo game to which she was well-suited.

"I didn't want to sign early and pass up any opportunities," Stephenson said. "It wasn't who I was leaning to at first, but in the end they were there and it was the right fit."

Pickerington North point guard Jenna Schone, District 11's and the Eagle-Gazette's All-Fairfield County Player of the Year, was out of town for spring break and did not play. She will participate in the North-South All-Star Game a week from Sunday at Capital University.

Millersport guards Holly Lewis and Caylee Clark were selected to play but did not attend.

Keith Ebright, the recently retired assistant coach from Pickerington North, was honored as the District's Assistant Coach of the Year. Ebright and Dave Butcher, honored as the Division I Coach of the Year, coached Pickerington and Pickerington North to 520 wins and six state championships from 1983 to 2005.

Originally published April 2, 2005

[2005PANTHER]

Seeing as I've known Lauren Stephenson for quite sometime I must say she will be a good addition to the Lady Zips. It'll be interesting to watch her play at Akron instead of at Pickerington Central. She's been taught by great coaches and knows the game real well.