Sam Austin’s contributions to a talented Nazareth team could perhaps be overlooked.

She’s the kid sister of a former Nazareth star for a state champion. That’s a tough act to follow.

She does not go unnoticed by her coach.

“She is one of those kids, you never see her in the box score, never see her name in articles,” Nazareth coach Eddie Stritzel said. “But Sam is vital to what we do defensively.”

Austin and the Roadrunners are doing quite well, thank you. Nazareth (19-3) has won nine straight games since the calendar flipped to January, and held its last eight opponents under 40 points.

Nazareth, ranked fourth in the latest Associated Press Class 4A poll, plays at No. 1 Benet next Wednesday. Benet handed Nazareth its only in-state loss, in December.

“I think right now we are the best we have been with our defense,” Austin said. “Coach always talks about having five kids moving as one. I think we have really improved on that, with our communication, knowing where we are, what spots to be in.”

That all starts with Austin, who routinely tracks an opponent’s best player in Nazareth’s matchup zone.

“She is the anchor of our defense, never asks for anything,” Stritzel said. “She has an amazing attitude. Her sister was the same way.”

That older sister would be Olivia Austin, a starter for Nazareth’s 2023 Class 3A state champion and 2024 Class 4A state runner-up who is now at Dartmouth.

Sam Austin, a 5-foot-10 junior, at times gives away a few inches to bigger posts. But she doesn’t give an inch.

“She has this low center of gravity, she is such a strong kid with her lower body and core – she is able to body kids and get them off their position," Stritzel said. “She is not a shot blocker but if they want to set up at six feet away from the basket, she puts them out to eight feet. The extra two feet that gets them off their spot is essential to what we do.”

Austin credited her coaches for pushing her in practice at the defensive end.

“They push me personally to be tough on defense, to be physical when I’m playing in the middle because I’m kind of undersized,” Austin said. “Just getting low on people helps a lot and just being constantly physical, it tires people out and is a way of getting under people.

“I love playing defense. It’s hard work but it’s amazing how it can shift the momentum of the game.”

Freshman year Austin dressed with the varsity while playing JV, but a high ankle sprain cost her much of the season, her sister’s senior year.

With Olivia among four starters graduating off that 2023-24 team, Sam was thrown into the fire and played close to 30 minutes per game as a sophomore with little varsity experience.

“And she did wonderful,” Stritzel said. “This year she is a junior and a veteran. She has been through a lot of great games.”

Austin, like her older sister, is a multi-sport athlete. She played volleyball her freshman and sophomore years but now is focused on basketball and soccer.

“We had a lot a lot of our players last year. I wasn’t expecting to take on such a big role but once coach gave me that role I was super happy,” Austin said. “It wasn’t easy of course but I was glad to fill that role.”

She’s happy to follow in the footsteps and the legacy of her older sister and that Class of 2024 that led Nazareth to three state finals.

“All of this year and last year, we’re looking to follow that legacy,” Austin said.

Benet’s ‘tater tots’ keep Redwings hot

Ava Thomas and Benet’s other “littles” have affectionately been dubbed the “tater tots” in practice by coach Joe Kilbride.

Those mighty mites, including 5-foot-7 junior Thomas, are a big reason why Benet has won 20 in a row since its season opener.

“We work really hard on boxing out and using every bit of strength we have,” Thomas said. “We play physical and hard in practice. It helps when we are playing bigger teams.”

Thomas is shooting 30% from the 3-point line with the second-most made threes on the team, and also shoots 70% from the free throw line. She’s also fifth on Benet in rebounds with an exceptional assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.77.

She defends other team’s guards and does not get posted, although some have tried.

“Because Ava is undersized she is often underestimated. But she is tough as nails defensively, and rebounds exceptionally well for her position,” Kilbride said. “In the NBA they would call her a ‘3 and D’ player. She plays great defense and makes 3s.

“For teams to be really good you need kids to find and fit into a role and Ava has done an exceptional job of that for us. She knows how she can impact winning and does those things consistently. Not everyone can be the star, but everyone can be a star in their role and Ava is a great example of that.”

Thomas was in a bit of a shooting slump toward the beginning of the season, which she has overcome.

“Our coach has been big on keeping a positive mindset, visualizing – that has helped me a lot," Thomas said. “It helps me to stay level-headed. We work on shooting a lot in practice.”