Versatile difference-maker

When Katie Hall took over as head coach of the Cedar Creek varsity basketball team, she came in ready to find out what she was really working with.

Sure, she had spent the previous two years coaching the Lady Cougars’ middle school team and had seen some of the talent make its way to high school. But when she officially took the varsity job in late March, she hadn’t worked with a portion of the roster, especially the starters, before then.

So, when she needed to submit a player for the Shreveport Times’ list of girls basketball athletes to watch for in northwest Louisiana this season, she chose one of her seniors – Leah Sutherland.

“I had to nominate someone from our team for the award and not knowing really all of their potential at that time, I highlighted Leah because I figured she’s the most versatile,” Hall said. “ She can rebound, defend, and knock down outside shots. And she’s even handling the ball some too. I miss her when she’s not in the game.”

That nomination has looked to be proven correct when you look at Sutherland’s impact on both ends for the Lady Cougars (9-8) so far this season and the leadership Hall has seen her bring to the team consistently as they start to find a groove.

Sutherland is the team’s leading rebounder, averaging 8.2 per game with 140 total. She’s the team leader in blocks (7). She’s the team leader in steals per game (2.8) and total steals ( 48). She leads in free-throw attempts and makes per game and is second on the team in assists per game (1.8). And for good measure, Sutherland is third on the team in scoring (6.8 points per game).

Add all that up and you get a differencemaker for Hall and her squad, who has depended on Sutherland as a two-way threat as they close out their nondistrict slate.

“She’s a good leader. She’s an encourager,” Hall said. “Coming in in the spring, I just loved her because I knew being a senior she was going to be a good leader and step up, the hardest worker.”

Over her last five games, Sutherland has upped her level of play to boost Creek to a 3-2 record in that span, averaging 9.6 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals.

But for her, it’s just about being a dependable piece for Hall and her teammates.

“I’m always looking to make plays,” Sutherland said. “I love when we get the whole team involved with a play; it brings a lot of energy. I try not to overthink and just play good basketball.

While it’s not unique to Sutherland, Hall said each of the seniors, especially regular starters, hate to come out of games. Playing means repetition and building trust, and Hall knows Sutherland operates best when she’s in her role and can stick in it and see it work.

Hall calls Sutherland “a thinker” who is starting to really flourish in her role because it’s “her” specific role. Hall said once Sutherland understood what was asked of her, it’s been consistent ever since, and it’s a struggle to take her out of the mix for even short moments as the Lady Cougars try to string together wins.

“When she’s not in the game I get frustrated: ‘Why can’t we get a rebound?’ And then I’m always like, ‘Oh, Leah’s not in the game,’” Hall said. “She’s just consistently doing the little things. She rebounds. Defensively, she’s got good instincts, and she anticipates passes in our full- court press. She just does all the dirty work. I’m glad to see she’s having success with it.”

That success only comes when there’s a buy-in from player to coach, and Sutherland said working with Hall and receiving positive feedback has allowed her to take her game to new levels.

“I’m loving how much effort and enthusiasm Coach Katie is putting into the team,” Sutherland said. “It is a lot of change my senior year, but it is what we need to excel.”