SENIOR HELPING FLAMES SURGE
Accomplishments: One day, Ellie Van Tassel would like to be an editor of a publishing house.
But for right now, the Lodi High girls basketball player, a senior forward who is a three-year starter, took charge at the Pitman Holiday Classic in Turlock, which ran Dec. 27-29. She was the lone Flame who was named to the all-tournament team, as Lodi beat Livermore 75-69 for third place on Dec. 29. Van Tassel had 13 points in that contest.
During the tournament, Van Tassel averaged 13.1 points per game. Her best game was against Merced in the tournament opener that the Flames won 49-38 on Dec. 27.
“We played pretty well against Merced,” Van Tassel said. “We broke their press right away.”
Moving into the winner’s bracket against Sonora, the Flames came close but the Wildcats pulled out a 66-57 win on Dec. 28. Van Tassel finished with eight points.
“We could’ve played better,” Van Tassel said. “It just wasn’t our day; none of our shots were falling. The third game (against Livermore) we played pretty well again.”
Being named to Pitman’s all-tournament team is the first time this season for the 5-foot-8 Van Tassel, but not the first in her varsity career. As a sophomore on the 201617 Lodi squad, Van Tassel was named to the Lodi Tournament’s squad.
Entering Thursday’s TriCity Athletic League opener against Tracy at The Inferno — which Lodi won 50-46 — Van Tassel is tied for second in scoring on the team at 10.9 points per game; guard Marissa Fabian is the other. Last winter, Van Tassel averaged 11.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, both per game.
In addition to her scoring this winter, Van Tassel has made 72 of 167 shots from the field, has made 16 of 38 3pointers and 13 of 25 from the free throw line.
Van Tassel is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game in which most of her rebounds are on defense at 5.5. That’s been helpful for Lodi (1-0 in the TCAL, 9-8); teammate in forward Brooke Aberle has an 8.1 average per game and Fabian 5.6.
“We’re pretty close,” said Van Tassel of the seven seniors on the team that include Rachel Avellar, Calista Morita, Fabian, Aberle, Veronica Alejandrez and Isabella Fugazi. “I’ve been playing with most of the girls since AAU years, middle school.
We have good chemistry; we know each other very well. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we make sure that we work together.”
This season is no different than last season for Van Tassel and the Flames: Finish strong in the TCAL, with a winning record and earn another Sac-Joaquin Section playoff berth.
“We’re hoping to make the playoffs again,” Van Tassel said. “We just have to get through Lincoln and Modesto Christian. We’re a pretty strong team.”
As a freshman on the Lodi junior varsity girls basketball team, Van Tassel, who has played in the front court throughout her career, was moved to shooting guard.
“It was kind of weird for me,” Van Tassel said.
But she returned to playing forward when Lodi coach Brandon Shea moved her back to the front court.
“It’s natural for me to just stay down low, hope someone gets me the ball, push it back out if I’m not open and get my guards open,” Van Tassel said.
Van Tassel has been playing basketball since fifth grade. Her mother, Kim, strongly encouraged her to play the sport.
“My mom forced me to play,” Ellie Van Tassel said.
Ellie Van Tassel is savoring all of the Lodi games, practices and team functions until their season ends. That is because she is not playing basketball in college after she graduates from Lodi High this spring.
This summer, Van Tassel plans to attend George Mason University in Fairfax County, Va. As her focus is in helping Lodi keep winning, Van Tassel hopes in time to become an editor at a publishing house.