Aubrey Galvan breaks defenses.
While her exploits with the ball in her hands are well documented, Loyola’s senior guard can also affect defenses without it. Toward the end of the third quarter of Loyola’s 58-42 win over Montini, Galvan stood in the quarter with the seconds running off the clock.
Junior guard Clare Weasler handled the ball at the top of the key, blew past her man with a right-to-left crossover and attacked the basket. Galvan’s defender is supposed to help in that situation, but you don’t leave Galvan.
“In my 17 years, I haven’t coached anyone like her,” coach Jeremy Schoeneceker said. “We knew they were gonna guard her in the corner, so that opens up a driving game lane for us, and it’s something that we’ve preached about all season long.”
Galvan finished with 26 points in the win. Whether it was off the dribble or off the catch, Galvan had success scoring. She’s a dynamic offensive talent. But it’s not just her scoring that’s lethal; her passing is also impressive.
She has the ability to thread the needle in the tiniest of windows or flip one-handed passes over the top of defenses to the opposite corner, hitting her teammate right in the shooting pocket.
“It’s so special to be on the court with a player like Aubrey,” said senior forward Grace Bronski, who scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds. “I always tell her to snap before she throws me the ball because I never know what’s coming.”
Galvan’s the headliner, but similar to last year, Loyola’s success takes a group effort from everyone on the court. Bronski plays a critical role as the forward because the Ramblers don’t possess a plethora of size. So it’s on Bronski to battle down low and do the less glamorous aspects of basketball.
“Grace just brings a physical presence, loves contact and will do all the dirty work for us — almost like Kelsey Langston last year,” Schoeneceker said.
Bronski was a rotational piece for last year’s IHSA Class 4A state championship-winning team, but with the graduations of Langston and guard Paige Engels, she has stepped into a more prominent role. Bronski credited Schoeneceker, who captured his 400th win after Saturday’s victory, for pushing her. That encouragement has helped Bronski develop over the course of the season.
This season, the key for the Ramblers was developing and getting players like Bronski, guard Marycait Mackie and Emily Naraky ready for the stretch run.
“It’s been a lot of pressure since because of what we achieved last year, but the girls have been awesome,” Bronski said. “They jumped right into everything we’ve done. We knew there would be some doubts about how the team would click, but everyone’s just always ready to work hard every day.”
The faces have changed, but the goal remains the same for the Ramblers. The team is still at its best when they lock in defensively, causing havoc with its relentless pressure. On Saturday, Loyola held Montini guard Nikki Kerstein to seven points, sending waves of defenders after her. The Ramblers close hard but are usually under control. Their pressure disorients defenses.
At the center of it is Galvan. Her unselfishness permeates throughout the whole team. She’s seemed to find the right balance between deferring to her teammates and knowing when to go into attack mode. Her performance will be key to getting back to the state tournament.
“It’s all just blended so easily because of how hard we work and how hard we want it,” Galvan said. “We’re still striving for a [state championship].