Martinsville, Monrovia girls basketball teams show potential in Artesians' shootout

MARTINSVILLE, Ind — Martinsville High School hosted a packed house Wednesday as 12 schools, featuring Monrovia, Roncalli, Bloomington North, Bloomington South, Whiteland and more, came into town for the Artesian girls basketball shootout.

All of Martinsville's facilities were at use, with the main gymnasium, auxiliary gym and new fieldhouse hosting basketball games from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The addition of the fieldhouse has been big for Martinsville, having also hosted the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches State Team Duals in January.

Artesian head coach Dave Dorsett was pleased to have so many join the event.

"Without these facilities we can't host this," Dorsett said. "People love what they see, it's easy to utilize, easy to use, opponent friendly. It's good to come play at a place like this, which I think is one of the best around."

Both the Artesians and Bulldogs have been hard at work over the summer, fitting in a variety of summer games. The shootout served as another opportunity to see their teams in action. Here's some of the key takeaways from both.

Martinsville about ebb and flow

The main question for Martinsville heading into the new season is how the team will function without a primary star.

Since at least 2014, the program has had a fortunate draw of high-level athletes, with Nova Southeastern bound Delaney Wolfe being the latest. This is the first season in many which the Artesians have a fresh slate to see new players rise to the occasion.

That being said, much of the focus this summer has been working as a team.

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"We're building chemistry, the hard work and work ethic we haven't had in several years," Dorsett said. "We're building that sharing the basketball and playing as a team. With hard working kids, it's easier to teach them."

The team got a valuable first look at a Mid-State Conference opponent, facing off against, and defeating, Whiteland, a game which was tight-knit in the final minutes. They also played against Richmond and Bloomington South.

Dorsett has liked what he's seen so far from his group over the course of the summer, which has featured 19 games within a month.

"Hard work with this bunch, they'll be competitive," he said. "They're fun to coach, we don't worry about the scoreboard, we just play. We'll see where we land at. That was a good game for us against Whiteland. We gained a lot in that game."

Seniors stepping up for Artesians

Three Martinsville's seniors, Holly Galyan, Maci Dorsett and new addition Chloe Huff, have made it their responsibility to take charge of the team.

Galyan was often vocal, directing traffic on the court whether on offense or defense. She also took up much of the scoring effort, which is something that'll be new for her, having averaged 2.6 points last season. She was responsible for a clutch bucket in the final minute against Whiteland.

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"Holly has really stepped her game up and kind of been the go-to," Dorsett said. "We've got good leaders. The seniors are seniors but treat the freshman like part of the group. It's been a big thing. They know what's right and what the coaches expect."

Much of Dorsett's squad consists of players he's seen come up through the system, and that he's had his hand in coaching since as early as elementary school. So being able to coach this team is something special for him.

"This bunch is what I consider my bunch," he said. "We started with them when they were little and now we're here. I wasn't the coach (the whole time), but now they've landed in my lap. So, we've got a good respect factor for each other."

Monrovia picking up steam

From the early glimpse of action, the Bulldogs are already shaping up to continue the success they had at the end the 2021-22 season.

In three games played, including a convincing 48-33 win over Covington, Monrovia looked solid on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs showed a knack for playing gritty defense and scoring from all spots on the court.

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Much like the Artesians, Monrovia has been busy this summer, playing a variety of games. Today was the first time coach Kevin Rounds has been able to see the full team in action.

"Today's the first day we've had everybody together, so that's really nice," he said. "Having everybody in that first game against Covington was good. See some growth with players. Hopefully they'll build with that moment."

Bulldogs, star players look fresh

On what felt like every possession, guard Emery Newlin was wreaking havoc on ball handlers, coming up with steal after steal. Newlin was a player that emerged in the later half of last season. Her aggressive style of play has been a major benefit to the Bulldogs.

"She's been a really good player for us," Rounds said. "Emery is as aggressive as anybody, which is great. She's constantly looking to get an angle on a girl and steal. The other two guards, Ashley (Lewis) and Mary (Cox), are backing her up and giving the ability to be aggressive on and off the ball."

Lewis, a senior, looked her usual self, doing just about everything from driving the lane and grabbing rebounds, to pulling up from deep and pressuring ball handlers.

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The Bulldogs aren't a very tall team, so it's important for them to fight for every loose ball. They did just that Wednesday, and Rounds likes the direction the team is heading months out from the start of the season.

"We're not big, but I think our quickness and athleticism is a big key for us. We can use that to our advantage. The girl's adjusted (today) the way we needed to adjust. That's one of the thing that's been fun with this team this summer. They can fix a lot of their own mistakes. I think that's the sign of a mature and good team."

Contact reporter Devin Voss at dvoss@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @DevinVoss23.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Martinsville, Monrovia girls basketball teams show potential in shootout