The Maiden basketball team is 2-2 as they entered the Frenship tournament this weekend. 

   The Maidens have set their sights farther than last year’s region quarterfinal berth. 

    “Our schedule is pretty difficult,” senior guard Londyn Shain said. “We’re playing teams that are out of our classification, and since our district is pretty easy, we want to be better in the preseason because this year we have a chance to go to state.” 

   Even though almost half the Maiden team is freshmen, Coach Tri Danley expects maximum effort. 

   “This particular team is going to play with a lot of effort night in and night out,” Danley said. “If you come watch our team play, we will play hard. We may not be the most athletic team on the court, but we will give 100% all the time. We will play fast, getting up and down the floor, while taking care of the ball and limiting turnovers. Everyone will have the green light to shoot from the perimeter and beyond the three-point line. We will try to play aggressively on the defensive end, trying to disrupt opponents’ offensive style.”

   Senior forward Tatum Medlin said she wants to be a mentor for the younger players. 

   “I’m the oldest on the team,” Medlin said. “I’m trying to be a good example, so they don’t feel down.”

   Freshman guard Adison Armstrong is one of four freshmen playing on the varsity team. 

   “It’s a little scary,” Armstrong said, “but I’m loved by the seniors, and it’s great to be there.”

   One rule change for high school basketball is the elimination of the one and one free throw rule. It has changed to a bonus after five fouls each quarter, resulting in two shots. 

    “The new free throw rule change is definitely going to have an effect on the game,” Danley said. “I believe it is going to change how you start out games, how aggressive you play, and for how long. If a team picks up a couple of fouls early in the quarter, it will change team’s defensive strategies. I personally think it will make the games longer and slow the game down. There will be more free throw shooting, more stoppage of play, etc.”