Mya Knippling provides a defensive difference for Chamberlain girls basketball
Feb. 7—CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — Mya Knippling has developed a knack for blocking shots.
With that, the Chamberlain High School girls basketball team's defense starts and ends with her. The senior center has provided the whole package for the Cubs on both offense and defense, giving Chamberlain an asset that few teams in Class A girls basketball have, especially given she stands 6-foot-1.
"It's where our defense starts, with her down low making plays," Chamberlain coach Zack Nelson said. "It just keeps girls out of the paint. Because if they come down to her, she's probably going to have a good chance to block that. It takes away two points for them and it gives us another opportunity to have the ball and score."
The Cubs' senior has garnered attention for her play right from the start of the season, with a 24-point performance in a two-point loss to Wall and 36 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in a 63-53 win at Stanley County. Since then, there have been four more games with at least five blocks in the contest for Knippling, including 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in a 55-52 win over Mobridge-Pollock on Jan. 28 at home.
As for the blocked shots, Knippling said she tries to treat it like volleyball, another sport she plays for Chamberlain.
"I just try to jump with them as they're shooting. You're trying to get the timing right," she said. "A lot of it is like volleyball, you're just trying to get up there and stop them at the top of their jump. It's something I like doing a lot."
Knippling credits her improvement this year to her time in the offseason in the gym and the weight room. She said she's in the best shape of her career and would regularly spend up to two hours in the gym when the Cubs would have open gym time in the summer.
"I'd try to be the last one there," Knippling said of the offseason gym time.
During the season, Knippling credited Jayslee Peterson, a 6-foot senior forward, for pushing her in practice to prepare her better for games. The two are the tallest pair of players for the Cubs, who are allowing 49.3 points per game.
"I know what I can do is beneficial to the team, so it's good to feel important there. But I also like knowing that my teammates are there to help me out and pick me up when I might have a bad game," she said.
Nelson said he's not certain but believes seven blocks in a game is a Chamberlain High School record. Knippling said she doesn't have plans to play collegiate basketball, and is planning to attend South Dakota State University to study business economics.
"She's played a lot of basketball and she has a great sense of when that shot is going up and when to get it," Nelson said. "But the main step forward this year is what she's done athletically and how she's prepared herself to be her best."
The goal for the Cubs is to get some momentum going in the postseason. With a record of 8-9 as of Feb. 7, Chamberlain stands fifth in the Region 6A standings. The Cubs close the season with home games against Wagner on Feb. 11 and Hanson on Feb. 17.
"We're playing well as a team, but we just need to keep working and do our best to close out games with winning plays," Knippling said. "We know we've got a good team."
