One reason in particular exists for Ovid-Elsie’s excellent girls basketball season:

Lauren Barton.

Barton, who has signed to play college basketball at Indiana Tech, ended the season averaging 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds. 2.5 steals and 3.0 assists per game. Against Durand she scored 23 points and had 18 rebounds and five assists. Against Mount Morris, she had 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“I have added about three or four post moves to my inside game as well as a mid-range jumper that I have practiced a lot with over the past summer so I am a threat from outside the paint as well,” Barton said. “I have been recruited by Indiana Tech where I plan on pursing my academic and athletic career. I have been accepted into their Biomedical Engineering Program which I plan to study. My main reason for going into Biomedical Engineering is to help people. I have always enjoyed helping people ever since I was younger and I want to continue that in my future as well. I have also been given the opportunity to play basketball there as well. I was given both an academic and athletic scholarship.”

She’s had four years of varsity ball.

“This year has gone pretty good,” she said. “We’re doing pretty good. My freshman year we had a lot of great talent. This year we have a lot of heart, I think that makes up for our lack of skill.”

In the games where she scored a lot of points, “they were mainly putbacks and post moves,” Barton recalled. “I think I improved a lot. I suffered an ACL injury my sophomore year. Coming into my junior year, I was a little shaky coming off an injury. But I was able to sign with Indiana Tech (mid-November) and pursue my athletic and academic career.

“They were a successful team already. They were 23-4 this year.”

A home win over New Lothrop was memorable.

“They were a very physical team. So we were able to get down, get dirty and get the win,” Barton said.

She also played volleyball in the fall.