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St. James girls basketball head coach Paul Hudacko says it鈥檚 hard to remember coaching a team with as much chemistry as his team has this year.

The Sharks, who are looking to earn a strong finish in the Beach Region (Class VI-5A), are 3-2 in region competition and sit in command of the third place spot (behind Carolina Forest and North Myrtle Beach). Hudacko鈥檚 team was dominant on Tuesday against Myrtle Beach, posting a 42-19 home win to take firm control of the region鈥檚 third spot.

After the game, Hudacko looked on at his team, noticeably with pride.

鈥淚鈥檓 like a proud papa,鈥� the coach said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e watching your kids grow up. They are starting to fight, and that鈥檚 our biggest thing... We do fight. We do battle. We have built a reputation, the last several years, that these girls fight tooth and nail for everything.鈥�

Sports

'He's family': St. James student helps athletic department in unique, service-minded role

• By Joe Wedra joe.wedra@myhorrynews.com

Hudacko said that early in the year, his team 鈥� a young group that had to replace several seniors off of last year鈥檚 starting five 鈥� was playing a bit 鈥渢oo soft.鈥�

Recently, however, things have changed.

By the day, Hudacko said he has noticed continual steady improvements. Players like sophomore Callie Centracchio, eighth grader Leila Yandle, junior Raegan Tibbits and senior Leilani Morris have helped steer the ship in the right direction.

Chemistry and team culture, even more than the on-court improvements, have been standout features for St. James so far.

鈥淭hey know somebody is always going to have their back, and that has been fun to watch, the chemistry as they go game to game,鈥� Hudacko said.

鈥淭hey love each other. They hang out with each other outside practice. We go to college basketball games, and this and that, and they like being with each other. They鈥檙e hanging out at each others鈥� houses, sleeping over, building snowmen together. Those little things that you do outside of the gym bring you together鈥� They鈥檙e playing like it, and they鈥檙e acting like a family. I haven鈥檛 ever seen a group of girls love each other as much.鈥�

Centracchio, a softball standout who has only recently started to pick up basketball, has been one of the surprises in the entire region. She helped lead the Sharks to Tuesday鈥檚 region win over Myrtle Beach with several standout drives to the basket and athleticism in the paint.

Hudacko, aware of Centracchio鈥檚 passion for softball, has enjoyed seeing her pick up a new sport and become a leader.

鈥淪he鈥檚 such a good softball player. We had a conversation and it was 鈥楬ey, this isn鈥檛 your second sport, but this is your winter sport鈥欌�� She really took that to heart,鈥� the coach said. 鈥淵ou can see it in her work ethic and her training. It鈥檚 the mental part, too. She鈥檚 watching videos of things and of how to play basketball. She鈥檚 a heck of an athlete, and she鈥檚 becoming a basketball player right before our eyes. It鈥檚 beautiful to watch.鈥�

St. James will battle Carolina Forest on Friday, Jan. 31, before facing Conway (Feb. 4) and North Myrtle Beach (Feb. 7).

While Carolina Forest and North Myrtle Beach seem to have a strong grip on the top two spots in the region, Hudacko鈥檚 team is in the driver鈥檚 seat to take the third spot and head into the state playoffs with positive momentum, confident that their chemistry and improvement will give them a chance to rattle off some playoff wins.

There鈥檚 still plenty of basketball left in region play, but the Sharks feel optimistic about their chances to make a postseason run.

鈥淲e are going to be playing every night like it is its own season,鈥� Hudacko said of the next few weeks. 鈥淲e are going to have that mentality to try to put ourselves in a good position come playoff time. We want to be in a position where, mentally, we are ready to compete when it comes to the playoffs.鈥�