Sydney Gerossie may be just a sophomore, but Pinkerton’s go-to playmaker clearly knows her job on the court.
“I’m a pass-first point guard,” she said. “My greatest strength as a point guard is putting my teammates in a position to score, leading my team through the good and bad parts of a game, and being an extension of my coach on the court.
“I’ve played in so many games, against so many different defenses with so many situation that have been thrown at me that I can always adapt. and studying basketball off the court has elevated my basketball IQ.”
With Gerossie — a defending All-Division 1 honorable mention pick — running the point since the start of last winter, Pinkerton has been in good hands. The Astros entered Friday with a 7-2 record, outscoring their opponents by a combined 544-418 margin. Their lone loss is to defending Division 1 champion and rival Bishop Guertin.
“Syd brings confidence to our team,” said Pinkerton head coach Lani Buskey. “Her skill and leadership at the point guard position allows us be creative on the offensive end. While her threat from behind the arc is impressive, the vision she has on the court and her ability to distribute the ball makes her remarkable and one of the best in the state. I feel lucky to have her as my point guard and her unselfishness is at the heart of our success.”
The 5-foot-8 floor general is averaging seven assists per game to go with 12.2 points a game. She has also knocked down 17 3-pointers, including four 3’s and a season-high 20 points against Portsmouth and four treys and a season-high 16 points in a win over Amherst. She has scored 13 or more points five times
“I see myself as a very good floor general,” she said. “I’ve worked hard to become an elite level 3-point shooter. I have the ability to elevate the other four players on the court with me, so I would say my greatest strength is my passing ability. The thing I enjoy most about being a point guard is seeing my teammates be successful, knowing that I helped them to score makes me feel good.”
As a freshman last fall, Gerossie debuted with a bang as starting point guard for Astros. She averaged 14.9 points per game — including a season-high 21 points in a regular season win over eventual champ Bishop Guertin — and hit 34 3-pointers to help lead Pinkerton to a 17-2 record and a trip to the Division 1 semifinals.
But she was left with a bad taste in her mouth, as the Astros fell to longtime rival Bishop Guertin in the state semis.
“Anytime you lose in a playoff situation it certainly motivates you to become better in the offseason to come back and win that championship,” she said.
“It’s been a very exciting start to this season, but there is a lot of time left in the season for us to work on things to get to that championship game. We have the talent, the coaching, and we go into every game with confidence.”
Gerossie now has her eyes set on another tournament run, and is dreaming of a state championship.
“The only goal I have for the rest of the season is to do whatever it takes for my team to win games and to win a state championship for my school,” she said. “It means everything to me for my teammates, my coaches, and my community.”
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