Swiss Army knife leads Grafton honors

A little bit of everything done extremely well earned Grafton High School sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius a spot on the North Shore Conference girls’ basketball team.

She leads a trio of Black Hawks honored after the team finished 12-6 in the NSC, good for fourth place.

Aleknavicius scored 10.7 points per game, second on the team, grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game, was second in the NSC with 3.1 steals per game and dished out 2.5 assists – 14th in the league.

“She always makes the smart play. She was never forcing shots. She does set her team up for a lot of opportunities. She rebounded,” coach Matt D’Amato said.

“She was our Swiss army knife out there.”

Standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall with long arms, fast reflexes and quick feet, Aleknavicius was able to handle a variety of difficult defensive assignments.

“The biggest thing is she was able to defend point guards all the way up to posts who have three or four inches on her,” D’Amato said.

Beyond that, Aleknavicius kept an even keel.

“The highs are never too high and the lows are never too low. Knowing she’s always going to be there with a level-headed mind was one of the things that was most valuable,” D’Amato said.

“She’s always thinking and calculating and thinking ahead. She’s very reliable in that sense.”

Senior Ashley Weir was named to the third team after leading the Hawks in points with 11.1 points per game — shooting 50.5% from the floor — and rebounds with 6.8 per game. Both ranked 11th in the conference.

She was fourth in the NSC in steals at 2.7 per game.

“She was rebounding like crazy,” D’Amato said.

Weir also helped lead the Hawks’ fast break that could put opponents in quick holes.

“She has a special connection with Emily (Grisar, point guard). They’ve played together since third grade,” D’Amato said.

“When they secure the ball, they’re looking to run. It’s something that’s trickled down to sophomores and freshmen coming up through our program. That identity is something they’ve left which is awesome.”

Weir also brought something else to the table.

“Her goal this year was to be the energy, and she was. But I really think leading by example was one of the biggest things she did,” D’Amato said. “She was out there diving for loose balls, playing through injury. She was out there guarding girls a lot taller than she was. She didn’t complain about it. She would run through a brick wall for her team.”

Senior forward/center Ella Day, who was named to the second team last season, earned honorable mention recognition.

She was second on the team in rebounds with 4.5 per game, scored 5.8 points per game and had 1.8 assists per game.

“Stats-wise, it was a down year for her,” D’Amato said, adding the offensive scheme of four outside and one inside — Day was in the paint — differed from last season’s five-out formation. Instead of shooting, she kept the ball moving inside out and across the court, setting teammates up for open shots.

“She was the epitomy of doing what it takes for the team to win. The ball would never stick with her, and she would get her teammates some really good looks,” D’Amato said.

“It means a lot that the other coaches in the conference recognize how important she is to a team.”

Day took 10 charges — no other Hawk had more than two — and had her best game of the season in the finale at Beaver Dam, scoring 16 points with three rebounds and four assists and even playing point guard at times despite standing 6 feet tall.

Day may have played a bigger intangible role. Known as Momma Bear, she was the undisputed team leader.

“Everybody would go to Ella because they knew that Ella would tell it how it is. She doesn’t sugarcoat it. She would be in their corner,” D’Amato said.

Underclassmen, he said, told him they wanted to be like Day next season.

“I think that’s one of the best compliments,” D’Amato said.

For Port, 6-2 freshman center Lillian Merow earned honorable mention recognition, becoming the first Pirate honored since Lizzie Egan in 2017.

“It’s a big deal for our team and our program,” coach Jakob Wahl said.

Port went 2-16 in the NSC and 6-20 overall, bouncing back from a winless season last year.

Merow averaged 10.4 points per game and was 12th in the NSC in rebounding with 6.8 per game. She was a defensive force inside, leading the NSC in blocks with 1.4 per game.

“She started the season not starting for us. That says a lot about her growth,” Wahl said.

“She can finish around the rim with both hands, which isn’t something you see.”

Beyond her physical presence, Merow is a good teammate.

“She’s a very positive person. She wants everyone on her team to do well. She’s there for everybody. That’s a huge thing to build our program, to have people like her,” Wahl said.

And she wants more.

“She’s happy where she’s at but not satisfied,” Wahl said.