Few people in the Laguna Beach High gym Jan. 26 probably believed what they were seeing.
That’s OK. Emily Writer didn’t really believe it, either.
“I don’t even know I’m scoring that much until after the game,” Writer said. “I don’t even realize what I’m doing until after the fact. I just try to play hard.”
For Writer on that night, “play hard” was more than just some cliché. It meant she put 53 points up on the board in a loss to Costa Mesa, breaking her own single-game record at the school set Jan. 22, 2009, when she scored 51 against the Mustangs.
“I thought I was never going to break that 51 record,” Writer said. “I didn’t believe my dad [Jerry] when he told me I got 53 points. Then I looked in the score book and it was 53. I was happy. I was sad that we lost that game, though.”
Yet, Coach Jon Hendrickson and Writer’s teammates might have been the least surprised. They have seen the intensity with which Writer, a three-year starter, plays with every night. The number speak for themselves.
Entering Thursday’s game against Estancia, the 5-foot-10 Writer is averaging 21.6 points per game. And, while the Breakers (5-17, 1-5 in league) appear like they’ll miss the CIF playoffs for the second straight year, Writer will be part of a formidable returning core next year.
This year’s team has only one senior starter, Grace Komoroczy, who is a first-year player. Other returning starters next year should include current junior center Sam Garner, as well as sophomore forward Holly Battle and freshman guard Lola Cowie.
Writer’s impact though goes beyond just the points. Komoroczy had never played competitive basketball until this year, yet she said she, like her teammates, have received encouragement from the competitive Writer.
“We’ve definitely become more aggressive as a team,” Komoroczy said. “Sometimes they’ll try to shut her down, so she’s got to trust us, too. I think trust has gone a long way; we’ve definitely built up trust.”
At first, Writer’s competitive edge could have been a turn-off. Sometimes, it means to criticize, which wasn’t always taken the best way by her teammates.
“Now, they’re starting to understand,” said Hendrickson, in his third year.
