Ashley Schroer needed a box to carry home all of the special awards she received when the Brownstown Central girls’ basketball team held an awards program recently at the school.
Schroer and Katherine Benter were named to the Mid-Southern all-conference first team.
Schroer was a Hoosier Basketball Coaches Association (HBCA) regional all-star, named to Hoosier Basketball Magazine’s top 60 workout, a Subway Player of The Week, and Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA)/Subway senior all-state honorable.
She also received the field-goal shooting award (170 of 340 for 50 percent), and the rebound (219) award. She topped the Braves in scoring with 447 points for an average of 14.9 with high games of 26 against West Vigo in the sectional championship, 24 against New Albany and 23 against West Washington.
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A four-year varsity starter, she ranks second in career scoring, and fourth in career rebounds with 713. She went over the 1,000-point mark in the game against Madison.
“Playing basketball as a Lady Brave for the past four years has been a privilege and an honor,” Schroer said. “Although the understanding of the game seemed to come easy to me, I’ve been playing since the second grade and have played AAU every summer since."
Brownstown Central offered its own unique experience for players.
“One thing that all kids who play basketball at BCHS will agree with me is that running out of that tunnel is one of the best feelings," Schroer said. "The band plays the school song and everyone stands up to clap and sing. The tunnel and the sunken gym is what makes BCHS so special and a school song that no other school has.”
Previously, Schroer was named The Tribune’s 2019-20 Player of The Year, and was named the team’s most valuable player at the awards program.
“The offensive part of the game came from teamwork,” Schroer said. "This past season as a team we really worked on our roles as individuals and I was given a scoring role. At the end of every game you want to put more points on the board than the opposing team and this past season we achieved this by winning 26 games."
Schroer said she began the season with the goal of reaching 1,000 career points.
"Without the help of my coaches and teammates pushing me to perform my best I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this goal and to be second on the all-time list," she said. "It is really an achievement.”
Schroer will attend the University of Kentucky and study animal science/pre vet.
Braves Coach Brandon Allman said had plenty of praise for Schroer.
“She was an outstanding leader," Allman said. "She was a take charge person in the locker room. She broke our huddle all the time. She picked up the girls when they were down. Her work ethic at practice was second to none."
Statistics showed Schroer regularly drew charges from opposing players during the season.
“She took 10 charges on the season, which is arguably the biggest game changer in basketball," Allman said. "We played against a lot of good post players and she made it harder for them to score.”
Benter received the mental attitude award, the free throw (124 of 162 for 77 percent) and assists (74) awards, and was named IBCA/Subway underclass all-state honorable mention.
Benter, a junior, averaged 15.5 points per game with highs of 29 against Silver Creek, 25 against Brown County and 24 against Scottsburg.
Zoe Fountain received the outstanding defensive player award, Halle Hehman received the coaches’ award, and Fountain and Hehman were named academic all-state by the ICGSA (Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association) and academic all-state honorable mention by the IBCA.
Allman coached the Braves to a record of 26-4, and to the co-championship of the MSC at 8-1. The Braves won the Toby Yoho holiday tournament, and were sectional and regional champions.
The Braves set school records for lowest defensive point average (40.9), most wins in a season, and most 3-point field goals in a season with 293 (old record 125). Maddy Hackman broke the record for 3-point field goals in a season with 79.
Avery Koch and Zoe Stuckwisch received lettermen jackets.
The junior varsity had a record of 17-2 and Camryn Thompson received the Rising Lady Brave award. Stuckwisch received the most improved award.