Nate Schneider
Sports Scene
It was a Valentine’s Day massacre.
East Lansing, loaded with phenomenal shooters who space the floor as well as any team in the state, opted for the tried-and-true approach of firing away from long range that has worked so well all season.
The opponent, Capital Area Activities Conference foe Lansing Sexton, didn’t stand a chance.
By the time all was said and done, the Trojans had drained an astounding 23 3-pointers to tie an MHSAA record that was previously established in 2013 by Kent City.
Not only did East Lansing make an incredible number of shots from beyond the arc, the final score showed how dominant of a team it has this season as it won 73-9.
“We’re just shooting the ball really, really well and spreading the floor really, really well,” Trojans head coach Rob Smith said. “Additionally, everyone is really unselfish. All the kids understand they have the green light, so it’s bombs away really.”
So who are the main characters who make the Trojans tick?
Helping to lead the charge is senior four-year varsity performer Jaida Hampton (16.2 ppg), who is committed to Wichita State. She is draining 42 percent of her 3-pointers and is coming off a 27-point performance versus Holt where she connected on 7-of-9 from 3-point range.
“She can not only shoot but is super quick to the basket,” Smith said about Hampton. “She can also defend anyone from a point guard to a post player. She’s really one of the most versatile players we’ve ever had at East Lansing. In fact, Klarissa Bell won Miss Basketball when we won the state title in 2010 and I’d have to say Jaida has taken it to the next level of matching and maybe even becoming a better player than Klarissa was.”
Another four-year varsity player is senior guard Amelia McNutt, who missed the first seven games of the season as she recovered from a torn ACL. While still rounding into form, she is playing a huge role on a nightly basis for the Trojans and hit three 3-pointers in the record-tying night against Sexton.
On the season, McNutt is connecting on 45 percent of 3-point attempts and 52 percent from inside the arc. She is averaging eight points per contest.
“Amelia McNutt has been consistently the best scorer from day one since she joined the varsity,” Smith remarked. “We’ve been careful with her since she returned from the injury, but she continues to play better and better. She’s such a bulldog on defense. She’s made out of nails.”
Also playing a major role is Aazh Nye, who Smith calls “our Christian Laettner” in the fact she steps up in huge moments and big games. She scored in the closing seconds to defeat DeWitt the last two meetings, including a 52-51 victory this season which is one of only three East Lansing games this season that have been decided by single digits. Nye also broke the school record for 3-pointers in a game with eight versus Sexton, draining seven of them before halftime. She is shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and averaging 12 points.
“Between those three players it’s a friendly competition to see who can be the best 3-point shooter on any given night,” Smith said.
Aazh’ sister, Aaliyah, is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 per game.
East Lansing (18-0) will be in a very tough Class A district that will also feature a one-loss DeWitt team that the Trojans defeated 48-47 in last year’s district final when Nye hit a shot in the final seconds.
“We have such a tough draw in districts with DeWitt on the other side and if we end up meeting them it will be an incredible game,” Smith added. “But if we do get through that district, this team could be set up to make a long run.”