Girls basketball: Palm Beach Central leans on transfer, depth to replace Player of the Year

The Palm Beach Central-Wellington girls basketball intra-village rivalry is always a big deal.  Last season, Palm Beach Central beat Wellington for the district championship.

They met again Wednesday in Wellington and not much changed in the result. Palm Beach Central, with its bench that goes nine deep, wore down Wellington after a close first half and posted a 56-42 victory.

“I’ve been here 17 years and it’s been a big rivalry before I got here," Palm Beach Central coach Bruce Gaffney said. “It’s always nice to beat them. Our kids know their kids. They play on the same travel teams. It ignites the rivalry and they have high respect for each other. We want to beat them. They want to beat us."

While young Wellington is rebuilding, Palm Beach Central has a fascinating roster with the coach not knowing who to start. Nine players scored vs. Wellington and their most electric player, junior transfer guard Triniti Crouse, didn’t even start.

This is how Palm Beach Central will adapt to losing its superstar, Palm Beach Post Player of the Year E'Zaria Adams.

“We definitely have a bench," Gaffney said. "Triniti is a starter. I have seven starters and I rotate those seven starters."

Crouse is one of a handful of solid ball handlers on the squad. She finished with 12 points and made two strip steals with her fast hands that led to her layups. The other esteemed ball handler is Emily Guillen, who added 11 points. PBC’s rugged center Tamia Coleman added 10 points and blocked five shots as Palm Beach Central moved to 3-4, 2-0 in district action.

“We got good kids still trying to jell," Gaffney said. “The trademark of this team we’re still developing our identity after losing E’Zaria."

Crouse, who transferred from South Fork in Stuart, has a speed and vibe you can’t teach as well as a presence as a floor general. She only stands at 5-foot-3 but can take it to the rim with force and has a feathery 3-pointer, making two against Wellington. Even at the foul line, Crouse goes through an eclectic dribbling motion before lofting a soft-spinning shot.

“Triniti, man, her energy is infectious," Gaffney said. “I’m hoping every player on this team will adopt it. Triniti has the identity we want. She goes hard at everything she does and has a nice control of the game. She wants the ball in her hands and wants the team to be in the position they need to be."

Crouse doesn’t mind coming off the bench occasionally.

“I feel like at Central, I fit in," Crouse said. “It’s the school I was meant to be at. We’re pretty deep. We don’t have set starters. It’s OK to come off the bench sometimes."

Crouse is a little ball of fire with college-playing aspirations. “I feel like I play with a lot of intensity on defense so my offense has to be the same," Crouse said.

A player even shorter than Crouse also has the same tough-as-nails spark — Gracie Powell. Powell hit two consecutive 3-pointers to start the second half to allow Palm Beach Central to pull away after being up 29-24 at halftime. On defense, Powell is in the middle of things, physical with a knack for getting loose balls, and is a sweet passer.

“She’ll give it to you at both ends," Gaffney said. “She’s still getting her sea legs under her. What you saw tonight is only a part of what Gracie can do."

At center, Coleman might have the potential to play college ball with her deft post skills and height, but she’s already committed to Florida A&M for volleyball.

“She’s one of the best post players in the county," Gaffney said. “She definitely has great moves and she elevates. She’s big and has size and can run."

Wellington, which fell behind by 20 points at 50-30 before rallying, will have its work cut out for itself this season. It has just two seniors who get major playing time in Deyne Clarke and center Madison Smith.

Clarke scored the game’s first two baskets as Wellington took a 4-0 lead and finished with 10 points. Smith was held to seven. Though she drained a 3-pointer, she missed too many contested shots around the rim.

Alana Russotti and Rebecca Vital each added 10 points for the Wolverines, who fell to 1-3.

“Clarke had a good game, solid on both sides of the floor," coach Rudy Toledo said. “We’re probably looking for more from Maddy. Maybe more ball movement from her."

“We’re young and inexperienced and growing every day," Toledo added.

Toledo, in his third season, has the right patience for the job. Toledo spoke to his team for 30 minutes afterward in the locker room.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Central girls basketball bests rival Wellington