A small yet talented returning senior class has given Matthew Lofton reason to believe his Presbyterian Christian Lady Bobcats will take a step forward this coming basketball season—his fourth at the helm of the program.
“We have three amazing seniors—Gabby Gallup, Mary Moore Widemire and Jillian Rhian. They have just really led us all along the way,” said Lofton. “They lead us with their energy, their attitude and their communication. We’re geared up for a big season.”
The Lady Bobcats went 14-14 last year, and they return their two leading scorers—Gallup and Rhian—from that squad. Gallup led the team in scoring as a junior (11.4 ppg) and a sophomore (13.4).
“She [Gallup] is on pace to hit about 1200 [career] points if she can keep going at the rate she’s been the last two years,” said Lofton. “But she’s so much more than scoring, and that’s what people don’t realize. She’s one of our top rebounders and has tons of assists and gets people involved. The other thing about her is she’s the energy-bringer. She comes out every day ready to work.”
The guard/forward is being pursued by William Carey and several junior colleges.
“Whoever gets her [Gallup] is gonna get one heckuva player,” added Lofton.
Rhian averaged nine points per game last season, but she’s headed to play soccer at Ole Miss next year. For the time being, though, she’s the starting point guard for the Lady Bobcats and a consistent three-point threat. Rhian connected on 34 percent of her shots behind the arc as a junior.
Other players Lofton expects to be key contributors are the aforementioned Mary Moore Widemire and junior Allie Vann. The team will also have a little more size than in previous years.
“We’re actually a good mix,” explained Lofton. “We got a couple of sophomore kids that have big bodies and big hearts for sure. We’ll be attacking outside like we have in the past, but we’ll also be able to get the ball inside as well this year.”
The Lady Bobcats will open the 2018-2019 season on Oct. 29 at the MRA Tourney.
“The expectations for PCS women’s basketball are high, but that’s where we want them to be,” added Lofton. “We embrace that and are excited about those high expectations. And we’re ready to go get it.”
