Challenging summer is aiding Latham's growth on the court
WEST LAFAYETTE — Kierston Latham made numerous contributions last season for the Ridgewood girls basketball team.
The junior is expected to take on a larger role for the Generals this upcoming year so gaining valuable experience this offseason was her focus.
She attended the Girls Varsity Team Camp with Ridgewood from June 21-23 at Eastern Ohio Basketball Camp. There were 46 high schools and over 600 girls who attended the camp, as Latham was nominated and selected by the coaches of the camp to be a member of the Eastern Ohio Sports Complex All-Star team.
Latham noted the camp allowed a young team to develop a strong bond.
"We have a lot of young players, and it helped us get more experience playing together," Latham said. "We were able to get more comfortable and confident playing together as a team. I think it will make a good impact for this season."
Latham, who has AAU experience, then participated for the Eastern Ohio Sports Complex All-Star team in the Nike Tournament of Champions from 7-10 in Chicago, Illinois. It marked the 25th year of the tournament, as the Eastern Ohio Sports Complex team won their pool tournament to highlight a successful weekend.
"I was just excited for the opportunity. It was really fun and a good experience," Latham noted. "It was really competitive, and there were a lot of good players there. It's a lot of competition which was good for me. Being able to play at that level was good experience, and it definitely made me tougher and showed me how to handle more pressure."
Latham and Kya Masloski will be among the returning letter winners for the Generals. She knows they will be the leaders of a young squad.
"We try to find ways for each other to score and get to the hoop," Latham said about playing with Masloski. "I need to keep getting in the gym and shooting. I need to keep working on creating my own shots and setting up shots for my teammates. I'll keep working hard so I'm ready for next year."
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: For Ridgewood's Kierston Latham, busy summer chance to gain experience
