Petersburg PORTA girls basketball is still among the state’s best with these two guards

PETERSBURG — Only Jayce Privia and Aubrey Vogel fit the mold of a true guard on the Petersburg PORTA/A-C Central girls basketball team.

They almost never leave the floor as a consequence.

About the only exception is if they extend the margin wide enough. Otherwise, they likely won’t rest until the final horn. Such was the case in their gritty 33-28 Sangamo Conference win over Stanford Olympia on Thursday.

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Neither seems to show any signs of fatigue regardless.

“I love not coming out,” the sophomore Vogel said. “I’m just trying to give it my best the whole four quarters and that’s what it takes.”

It’s nothing new for the four-year starter Privia, to be sure.

“Those two don’t leave the floor very often,” PORTA coach Eric Kesler said. “And to be honest, Jayce in her whole career hasn’t been off the floor very often even as a freshman, ‘Hey, you’re there, we need you,’ and she’s always been a good floor leader.”

Strong core

PORTA certainly possesses a light roster for a unit ranked No. 7 in Class 2A with a sterling 24-1 overall mark. That varsity lineup totals just nine players.

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Privia and Vogel, though, complement a formidable frontcourt that includes Carson Arthalony, Karlie Hoke and Cassie Cox. Other bigs such as Aubrey’s cousin, Allison Vogel, and Reese Cookson supply additional help in the paint, but that largely encompasses the entire rotation.

“In junior high, we were always limited on numbers, so I’m used to playing most of the game,” said Privia, who hails from the A-C Central side. “It might be a little bit of an adjustment for the other girls, but I think we’ve handled it well.”

Privia said it certainly differs from last year’s team, which most notably graduated guards Abby Bell and Alaina Marr. The Bluejays reached as high as No. 2 in the 2A poll and finished 27-2 after an early exit in the regional finals to No. 5 state-ranked Camp Point Central/Southeastern.

Vogel contributed valuable minutes off the bench last season. She now primarily assumes the point guard position while Privia has shifted to more of a shooting guard role.

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“It’s been really fun to take over,” Vogel said. “Last year, I had the opportunity to play a lot and we had a good run. This year, I feel like we’ve gotten stronger. We’ve got three bigs down low, and me and Jayce play well together."

A winning connection

Privia and Vogel might battle each other in 3-on-3 drills, but they usually work together in practice. Privia said they form a good duo in the backcourt.

“Aubrey sees the floor really well,” Privia said. “I think she’s just a true point guard. I’ve been telling her to shoot the ball more. She has a little bit and she had a few points tonight (against Olympia).”

Vogel is soaking up the experience as much as she can with Privia, who is 87-9 over the past four years with the Bluejays and will play at NCAA Division II McKendree University. Privia has 1,288 career points to her name and currently averages 13.8 points and 4.8 assists per game this season.

“Just watching her, I’ve learned a lot,” Vogel said. “She takes charge on the court and that’s something I look up to. She really knows how to take over the court and be a leader.”

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That chemistry applies to the entire starting lineup.

Hoke (18 points), Privia (16) and Vogel (14) most recently each reached double figures in a 70-39 win over Bloomington Central Catholic on Saturday. Hoke and Vogel combined for 10 3-pointers, in fact.

Arthalony and Cox also chipped in nine points to help register the team’s 10th straight win.

“We’ve all been playing together forever,” Privia said. “I know we’re from two different schools, but even still when we were younger, we were on the same youth teams together. And we’re all best friends.

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“We hang outside of school, so that chemistry is always there. We’re not really focused on how many wins we have, it’s just focusing on one game at a time and making the right plays in the right moments.”

Privia certainly pines for a deeper postseason run, though. The Bluejays have twice been spurned by a stout CSE program in regionals.

“We’re all best friends — all five of us,” Privia said. “I think it’s really cool to be playing with them one more time. I’m really looking forward to the postseason. Obviously take it one game at a time, but the past two years have kind of left a sour taste in my mouth.”

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Jayce Privia, Aubrey Vogel underpin backcourt for PORTA girls hoops