Because of her intense competitiveness and excellent game-management skills – especially late in the fourth quarter – Grafton High girls basketball coach Tommy Bayse wasn’t looking forward to having to replace last year’s starting point guard Rose Mulherin.
Junior Emily Beyer, a two-year student of Mulherin’s, is making things a little easier on the Clippers’ veteran coach.
A lot easier, actually.
Beyer, who first began playing organized basketball in eighth grade when she rarely saw the court, has emerged as perhaps the best true point guard in the Bay Rivers District.
Beyer is averaging 11.4 points per game on the year for the district-leading Clippers (16-2, 14-0 BRD), but in her last 10 games is scoring just under 15 points per contest beginning with a season-high 22-point effort against Bishop Sullivan in late December.
In Grafton’s critical matchup Monday night against third-place Smithfield, a game the Clippers won 63-44 to take a three-game lead over second-place Poquoson, Beyer produced one of her better all-around games of the season with 14 points, five assists and four steals.
The most jarring statistic, however, is her +1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season, which is pretty remarkable given that she’s handling the ball significantly more than she did as a reserve last season when her ratio was -1.
“Those type of numbers…that’s a point guard right there,” Bayse said. “She’s handled the ball probably three times more than last year, and she’s turning the ball over less, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.”
Her turnovers may have dropped from last year, but every other statistical category – assists (4 pg), steals (3 pg) and rebounds (3.5 pg- is higher.
The difference, Beyer and Bayse both agree, is simply confidence.
“I knew she had the talent to be something special the day she came to tryouts as a freshman,” Bayse said. “The raw basketball talent was there – she’s a good ball handler and can shoot lights out when she doesn’t hesitate with her shot.
“She benefited a lot from Rose [Mulherin] having to guard her in practice and watching the confidence she played with on the court.”
Said Beyer, “I was a little nervous and intimidated [entering the season] having to replace Rose, but playing with her has helped make me a better player I think. Rose was never afraid to take the shot, and Bayse has always been on me to shoot the ball more, so I would say just gaining confidence has been the biggest difference in my game.”
Bayse is so confident in Beyer’s stroke that at one point earlier in the season he threatened to bench her for passing up open looks. Who can blame him? Beyer, who nets most of her points via jump shot, is shooting an efficient 56 percent from the field on the season.
“It helps playing alongside players like Olivia [Wilson] and Hannah [Olson],” said a humble Beyer. “They draw attention from defenses, which has given me more open shots.”
Beyer says she hopes to continue her strong play down the final stretch of the season and help Grafton earn a No. 1 seed in the Region I Division 4 tournament, and then hopefully make a return trip to the Group AA state tournament where the Clippers lost to eventual state-champ Milbrook in last year’s quarterfinals.
With a victory Tuesday night against Warhill, Grafton can clinch at least a share of the Bay Rivers District title.
“It’s exciting to be a part of such a great team and to know you’ve played a part in it,” Beyer said. “I never really saw myself in this position because I haven’t been playing basketball that long.”
While all of the attention is currently on the task at hand, Bayse didn’t hold back when asked about Beyer’s potential moving forward. Keep in mind Bayse has coached a talented crop of point guards including Shanice Watkins, Jasmine Williams-Hayes and Mulherin, during his 10-year tenure as assistant and head coach at Grafton.
“She could be the best true point guard we’ve ever had,” Bayse said of his 5’4″ junior. “Shanice, Jasmine and Rose were all players who adapted to the position out of necessity, but weren’t really natural point guards. Emily is, and she’s only beginning to flash her full potential, in my opinion. She’s a big reason we are where we are right now.”
