Pioneer girls basketball preview: Haselby, Layer, Kennell among top Lady Panther returnees

Val T.

1 minute ago

5 min read

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

The Pioneer girls basketball teams have followed similar narratives each of the last two years.

In 2024-25, they started 0-6, turned things around with a nine-game winning streak and eventually made it to the sectional final before falling to Tri-County.

Last year, they started 2-8, turned things around with a 6-3 record over a nine-game span and eventually made it to the sectional final before falling to West Central.

Once again, coach David McWherter and his team will have to adjust without an All-Hoosier North guard.

In 2025, do-everything point guard Makenna Strycker graduated and is now playing at Wittenberg. Last year, Mia McKaig graduated – she averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds per game – and is now playing golf at Taylor University.

The returnees at guard include seniors Lois Layer and Avery Haselby, and juniors Tori Bingaman and Mya Ott also have varsity experience.

“I think really the biggest thing for us is going to be ballhandling early on,” McWherter said, when asked what was emphasized during the offseason.

Post player Hannah Zeigler, who averaged just under 5 points and 5 rebounds per game, also graduated.

“I don’t know if we’ll have to change it,” McWherter said about the team’s style of play without McKig and Zeigler. “We may have to tweak some things here or there. Obviously, roles are going to have to change for several of the girls that were playing last year and so forth. Honestly, we won’t change that much. We might be able to do a couple new things on defense here and there, but that would be about it.”

Haselby is the leading returning scorer at 6.5 points per game with Layer (6.4) and Kennell (6.2) right behind.

Haselby can shoot the 3-pointer and is also a guard who can bother opponents with her long wingspan.

“She just keeps getting more and more confident in herself,” McWherter said. “Obviously, there are things she needs to work on. She can be a streaky shooter at times, but as we get into her senior year here, we’re hoping she can step up and not just be a better ballplayer but a better leader for us.”

Layer has the most experience at point guard.

“I think she’s gotten even stronger, physically stronger,” McWherter said. “She’s just going to be one that we’re obviously going to rely on to look to take it to the next level and get double digit scoring on a regular basis. … Her biggest attribute is just going to probably be putting the ball on the floor some and trying to create for the other players.”

Elizabeth Kennell is the other returning starter, joining Layer and Haselby. Listed at 5-9, Kennell roped in 9.6 rebounds per game.

“I think a lot of it with her is she’s just so active,” McWherter said. “She goes 100 percent all the time, and then you add in her length of body plus her athletic ability, those two things. She’s just all over the place in that aspect on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. We get to see it every night in practice. She can dominate our practices with rebounding. She’s gotten so much better with her balance too this year. That’s a big part of it.”

Leah Zeigler, a 5-8 junior and Hannah’s sister, is also listed as a guard. She is a versatile player that can play inside or out, according to McWherter.

“Leah plays everything for us,” McWherter said. “You’re going to see her handle the ball. You’re going to see her in the post. I’ve talked to her a lot already this year: Her scoring has got to step up, and she’s got to be a little selfish at times this year. She’s responded pretty well so far in practice.”

Ott provides experience at shooting guard.

“She’s going to be one that will play in streaks here and there,” McWherter said. “And will have some times throughout the year have to start for us. But she’s one that will definitely be able to contribute three or four minutes here or there in a quarter and maybe rest for awhile and come back out and contribute three or four minutes.”

McWherter sees Bingaman as having a similar role to Ott where they might share playing time.

“There are going to be nights that Tori will be starting for us, I’m sure,” McWherter said. “But her and Mya are going to be opposites of each other, and I could see that being something throughout the year.”

McWherter reports 17 girls came out for basketball.

Khloe Shedron, a 5-4 guard, is another junior in the program. Paytyn Dillman, a 5-7 forward, is the only sophomore in the program. Both Shedron and Dillman are expected to play JV.

Freshmen on the varsity include guard Grace Cobb and forwards Reese Martin, Savannah Reeser and Willow Cosgray. Leah Franklin, Addie Tabler, Kayleigh Armick and Brynn Rinehart are freshmen that will play JV. Armick is injured and not expected to play.

“You’re probably only looking at the six juniors and seniors playing the majority of the time at varsity and the freshmen filling in,” McWherter said.

McWherter said the team talks about goals but does not “write it down.” Rather, team goals are more modest.

“We just want to get better from the beginning of the year to the end of the year,” McWherter said. “That’s our main goal. As we’ve said many times, even when I was in the boys program, don’t judge us in December. Let’s wait until the end of January and see where we’re at.”

Lady Panther notes

Pioneer’s game with Clinton Central scheduled for Nov. 17 was canceled because Clinton Central does not have a team. They replaced Clinton Central with a Nov. 12 game at Sheridan. Pioneer also dropped LaPorte.
Dale Samuels returns as McWherter’s assistant. LeAnn Bandelier, who had been on McWherter’s staff the previous two years, will coach the eighth-graders.
Pioneer will continue to play in both the four-team Cass County Invitational and the eight-team Indiana Kitchen Holiday Classic at Delphi. They will host Lewis Cass in the first round of the Cass County Invitational Dec. 2 before concluding that tournament at Logansport Dec. 5. They drew Attica in the first round of the Kitchen Classic on Dec. 21.

Pioneer girls basketball schedule

Nov. 7 – at Tri-County, 11 a.m.

Nov. 10 – vs. Southwood, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 12 – at Sheridan, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 21 – vs. Culver, 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 24 – vs. Wabash, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 2 – vs. Lewis Cass (Bi-County Tournament, first round)

Dec. 5 – Bi-County Tournament at Logansport (field includes Caston, Lewis Cass, Logansport)

Dec. 8 – at North Miami, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 10 – vs. North White, 7 p.m.

Dec. 15 – at Caston, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 19 – at Triton, 7:30 p.m.