Danyella Mporokoso knows that she’s expected to pick up the scoring load for Waubonsie Valley.
When her shot isn’t falling, however, the all-state junior guard also knows she has to find other ways to help out the Warriors.
“I’m a shooter,” Mporokoso said with a knowing nod. “When I don’t hit my shots, I know I have to do something. I have to play good defense, get steals, get rebounds, do something.
“(Monday) it just happened to be getting to the line.”
Mporokoso went 0-for-6 from 3-point range and shot 6-for-16 from the field in Monday’s season opener against St. Charles East at the York Thanksgiving Tournament.
But she still managed to score a game-high 25 points thanks to her 11-for-12 performance from the free-throw line as the Warriors pulled away late for a 77-61 victory.
Mporokoso also had six assists and four steals for Waubonsie (1-1). Lily Newton added 18 points, 13 of which came during an overpowering 34-point fourth quarter. Maya Cobb scored 13 points, Maya Pereda scored 11 and Arianna Garcia-Evans added 10.
In her varsity debut, freshman guard Brooklyn Schilb led St. Charles East (0-1) with 17 points. Sofia O’Sullivan scored 13 points and Akron recruit Corinne Reed added 11.
Even when Mporokoso isn’t shooting well, Waubonsie coach Brett Love believes she will find a way to do what she needs to do to help the team win.
“Her shots weren’t falling like she would like,” Love said. “She probably could have had 40. She started attacking the basket and getting to the free-throw line. She finished around the rim.
“If you can’t shoot the ball, free throws are a great thing.”
Mporokoso already has emerged as one of the state’s top talents in her first two varsity seasons, scoring 1,224 points and leading the Warriors to a fourth-place finish in Class 4A last season.
After that performance and another standout summer with her AAU team, M-XIV Hoops, Mporokoso has picked up 15 Division I offers.
For Love, watching her progress has been bigger than the usual coach-player dynamic.
“She’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent,” Love said. “I’ve been training her since she was in fifth grade, so for me, it’s personal. It’s a journey that we’ve been on. I didn’t think I would be her high school coach. It just so happened that I got the job and we’re able to take that journey together.”
Things got dicey Monday for the Warriors, though. St. Charles East rallied from an early deficit to take a 57-51 lead in the fourth. Schilb had a breakout performance to help lead that charge.
“Her and (Kathlyn Bainbridge), the other freshman, they’re going to make an immediate impact,” St. Charles East coach Katie Claussner said. “They’re ballers, so we’re excited.”
The Saints trailed 19-7 in the first quarter but roared back. A layup from O’Sullivan at the first-half buzzer cut the lead to 31-30. Reed drilled a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer for a 48-43 lead.
“That is a great team,” Claussner said. “The fact that we held with them, we had the lead for quite a while, we got into foul trouble and we just turned the ball over too much.
“But for the first game, I am more than pleased. We’ll just keep getting better.”
After winning a program-record 32 games and earning their first-ever state trophy last season, the Warriors understand that expectations are elevated.
They welcome the challenge as Love tries to take advantage of having Mporokoso on the team.
“Our goal is to always do better than last year,” Love said. “Last year, we had a historic year. We were fourth. We want to be first. I know those are lofty goals.
“But at the same time, we have to set them high like that in order to achieve them.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
