Ashley Hammes knows it will happen eventually. She just has to be patient.
There is no set timetable for Hammes to return to the Central High School girls basketball team’s starting lineup. The senior forward and three-year starter still is recovering from shin splints. In this case, her long-term well-being trumps seniority.
Nights like Friday, when Central defeated Aquinas 42-34 at Mark Sutton Memorial Gymnasium, make Hammes long to play more than a few minutes here and there. She scored four of her six points in the fourth quarter as the Red Raiders (4-1, 3-0) took control and remained atop the MVC standings.
But then again, Hammes simply was thankful she was able to contribute.
“I know that I’m not going to get a lot of (playing) time right now, so I know that I need to step it up when I’m out there,” Hammes said.
Central coach Mark Ambrose is getting the same vibe from every one of the Red Raiders’ reserves.
Ambrose is quick to say depth is one of Central’s strengths. Even though the Red Raiders’ reserves scored 13 points, they accounted for seven of Central’s 11 fourth-quarter points.
“Everybody who comes off the bench is ready to go, and (that depth) is a good problem to have as a coach,” Ambrose said. “It’s so hard finding enough playing time for everybody.
“I would love to play everybody 32 minutes. But our depth has made the difference between wins and losses.”
And Central’s depth made all the difference in the fourth quarter.
Aquinas (2-2, 1-1) cut the Red Raiders’ lead to 31-29 when Taylor Mathy hit one of two free-throw attempts with 6 minutes, 4 seconds left in the game. But Central sophomore reserve guard Alex Klos went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line. Hammes scored back-to-back baskets. And junior reserve guard Lexi Ruda hit a pair of free throws to give the Red Raiders a 38-31 lead with 2:13 left.
“Central is fairly deep,” Aquinas coach Matt Watso said. “Hammes didn’t play a lot of minutes, but they were productive minutes. That’s a nice team with good balance.”
And that makes coming off the bench easier for Hammes.
“If you get tired it’s nice knowing there’s a good player coming in to take your spot,” Hammes said.
