Maize South girls’ basketball transfers make immediate impact for Mavericks
The Maize South High School girls’ basketball team is off to one of the program’s best starts. Ranked No. 6 in Kansas Class 5A, the Mavericks remain undefeated after beating Wichita South in the AVCTL/GWAL Challenge.
Maize South may have a young team, but a pair of senior transfers have stepped up to help lead the Mavericks.
Lexi Snodgrass, a Wichita Northwest transfer, and Zayda Perez, a transfer from Valley Center, have made an immediate impact on the team.
Snodgrass led the City League in scoring for the 2017-18 season. Her shooting versatility is one of Maize South’s biggest weapons. The 5-foot-10 senior can knock down shots from beyond the arc and holds her own in the post.
Snodgrass said that Maize South was a better fit for her than Northwest because of the like-minded players on the roster.
“I think this is so much better of a fit for me. I’m around girls who love basketball, and I feel like that was a big change for me,” Snodgrass said. “Everyone wants to be involved and we all have the same goal and we all work for it.”
Perez, a 5-6 guard, does a lot of the work that doesn’t show up on the stat line: diving for loose balls, going for steals and pulling down jump balls.
Perez also agreed that Maize South was a better fit for her. She said the team welcomed her and her fellow transfer with open arms.
“They welcomed me in like family,” Perez said. “They are my family. We always have each other’s back.”
Maize South coach Ben Hamilton said the two seniors were a perfect addition to his roster. They brought in a work ethic that’s inspiring to the rest of the team.
“The two of them came in and do great things for us. It’s great for our culture good and for our underclassmen,” Hamilton said. “The way that they work and lead by example, they’re great role models for the other girls.”
Hamilton said that the team’s culture of family and team chemistry translates to success on the court.
“This group has really bought into the family atmosphere,” Hamilton said. “They’re coming together as a group; they love each other and look after each other.”