Schuyler BacklarMenwith Hill basketball

Last week - Backlar, a 6-feet-1-inch sophomore center, chalked up 19 points on 70 percent shooting from the floor, 15 rebounds, six assists and four steals Saturday to help the Mustangs avenge a Friday road loss at the American Community School of Hillingdon with a dominating 66-40 victory Saturday over their hosts.

The double-double was the second of the weekend for Backlar, who scored 12 points and corralled 10 rebounds in Friday’s 36-20 loss in a 24-minute game. His season average is 14 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Not bad for a guy who played little as a freshman and is adapting to a new position.

“Just when he was becoming comfortable out on the wing and finding his three-point stroke, starting low-post player Josh Willis went down with a wrist injury over the Christmas holidays,” Mustang coach Greg DeJardin wrote in a Monday e-mail. “As a result, Schuyler’s presence was much needed inside the paint, and it seems it’s been a successful conversion from a wing to a post player. This past weekend he was very effective at both the high and low post, and he was even able to run the point on a few fast breaks….”

Janelle LoneyPatch basketball

Last week - Loney, a 5-foot-5-inch junior guard who averaged 20 points per game last season in earning a spot on the 2010 All-Europe first team, ripped Vilseck for 58 total points Friday and Saturday in two one-sided victories. Patch dumped visiting Vilseck 62-18 on Friday as Loney posted 33 points and eight assists and 52-37 on Saturday behind Loney’s 25 points and six rebounds.

But Loney is far more than just a scorer, Patch coach John Kohut wrote in a Tuesday e-mail.

Calling his team leader-by-example “a coach’s dream,” Kohut, said Loney, averaging 25.25 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.75 assists and 4.0 steals per game, is dedicated “…to assisting in making the team successful.”

Kohut, who teaches at Robinson Barracks Elementary-Middle School, is guiding Patch for the first time this season after coaching community-level teams during his 30-year Air Force career. He said he was “astounded” when he first saw Loney play.

“All I could say is she’s an awesome, well-rounded, down-to-earth athlete,” Kohut wrote. “She can play any position asked of her and will make something happen. She is the person to go to when needed.”

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