By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's girls basketball team had an outstanding 2022-2023 season, posting a 21-2 record, winning the United Kansas Conference championship and advancing to the Class 5A state tournament.
Matt Tinsley's Seaman girls basketball team is coming off a 21-2 season and is the reigning United Kansas Conference champion. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
But the way the season ended, with a 65-42 first-round state loss to St. James Academy, has given Matt Tinsley's Vikings plenty of motivation entering the upcoming campaign.
"We have a chip on our shoulder,'' Tinsley said. "Our quote today in practice is, 'Feeling comfortable is the first cousin to being complacent.' We're disappointed with how last season turned out, but looking on the positive side of it, we got a taste of (state) and now we know what it takes to get back there and hopefully take that next step.''
Seaman would appear to have the pieces in place to make that happen, beginning with four players who earned TopSports.news All-Shawnee County recognition a year ago.
Seaman junior Anna Becker is a two-time All-Shawnee County pick and was the UKC player of the year last season. [File photo/TSN]
Seaman sophomore Maddie Gragg was an All-Shawnee County Top 10 pick and was named the county newcomer of the year as a freshman. [File photo/TSN]
Junior Anna Becker and sophomore Maddie Gragg were All-Shawnee County Top 10 selections last season while senior Taylin Stallbaumer was a second-team pick and junior Jaida Stallbaumer received honorable mention.
Becker, who has orally committed to Drake, averaged 12 points, 3.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals last season, while Gragg, the county newcomer of the year, averaged 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent from the field on 2-point attempts and 75 percent from the free throw line.
Becker is a two-time All-Shawnee County first-teamer and was named the UKC player of the year last season.
Seaman senior Taylin Stallbaumer (21) is the Vikings' all-time leader in career 3-pointers. [File photo/TSN]
T. Stallbaumer, the Seaman record-holder for made 3-pointers, averaged 10.4 points and hit 37 3-pointers last season, with 3.0 steals and 2.6 assists per game. J. Stallbaumer averaged 5.4 points and hit 14 3-pointers and shot 73.5 percent from the free throw line.
The Vikings should also benefit from the return of junior post player Ava Esser, who missed last season with an ACL injury, while senior Elinore Stallbaumer, juniors Kinley Wilhelm and Maggie Moulden and sophomore Ryin Miller are also expected to be key contributors.
"I feel like we have a veteran group coming back, some girls that know what it takes, but we've got to realize that we still want to be the hunters, we don't want to be the hunted,'' Tinsley said.
"We want to be the aggressor and that's been our talk going forward in our practices. We want to be the aggressors and we can't get complacent in any part of our game.''
Seaman will open the season at home on Thursday, Nov. 30, against UKC foe Lansing.
"I think we're hungry for it,'' Tinsley said. "We're ready to take the next step, we need to take the next step, but we know that last year's baskets don't score this year's points.''
SEAMAN GIRLS BASKETBALL
2023-2024 schedule
November -- 30 Lansing.
December -- 5 at Topeka West, 8 at St. James Academy, 12 Piper, 15 at De Soto.
January -- 4 at Leavenworth, 9 Basehor-Linwood, 12 Shawnee Heights, 19 at Lansing, 25-27 Capital City Classic, 30 at Piper.
February -- 2 De Soto, 6 at Turner, 9 Topeka West, 13 Leavenworth, 16 at Basehor-Linwood, 20 at Shawnee Heights, 22 Turner.
