During her freshman season Micalyn Mailloux didn’t play much for the Mahar girls basketball team.
Entrenched behind two veteran guards, Mailloux took her opportunity as a young player to immerse herself in varsity basketball.
“I got to play more and more,” Mailloux said. “I felt good to play against older players and have more competition. I just ended up working with the older kids and I got better.”
To say Mailloux got better might be an understatement. As a sophomore starting guard Mailloux has averaged 15.7 points per game and has reached double-figures in every game except for one.
“No matter where she is around the hoop, she knows where the hoop is,” Mahar coach Larry Fisher said. “She knows how to use the backboard. The backboard is her best friend, and she knows how to use it around the hoop and in transition layups.”
A focus on basketball during the summer helped her progress.
“I played on an AAU team and my coach worked with me,” Mailloux said. “I played summer league in Gardner too. I worked on my shot and we worked as a team.”
The Gardner summer league allowed Mailloux and her teammates to develop chemistry.
Mailloux can score in the open floor, she can shoot from outside and she has the uncanny ability to get herself to the free throw line.
“I was taught more to try to draw the fouls,” Mailloux said. “But if I see an open lane I will take it. But if I don’t score I will to draw the foul.”
One thing Mailloux has identified as something that needs improvment in her game is shot-selection and squaring herself to the rim on every shot.
“Getting good shots off,” Mailloux said. “Taking it to the hole hard. Protecting the ball more and my dribbling.”
Mahar (12-8) is looking at middle-seed in the Division III playoffs.
“I want us to work together,” Mailloux said. “Definitely get past the first round. I know we will be able to if we work as a team.”
Mailloux has seen an increase in defensive attention from opponents over the course of the season and in the playoffs it should intensify.
“I just need to get open,” Mailloux said. “I need to create space. Run the floor. Set picks. At the beginning of the season nobody was covering me. Toward the end of the season I had no open shots at all.”
The Senators lost last season to Monument Mountain in Berkshire County in the first round of the Division III playoffs.
Favorite Food: Tacos
Favorite professional athlete: LeBron James
Favorite social media: Snapchat
Favorite show: Criminal Minds
Favorite vacation spot: Salisbury Beach
Role model: My brothers and my parents.
Favorite movie: Vacation (2015)
Pet peeve: I hate when people chew food with their mouth open.
Career aspirations: I want to go into nursing.
Favorite website: Masslive.com
Favorite animal: Flamingo
Best pizza in Athol/Orange: Friendly Town
Gameday ritual: Music
Current sneaker brand: Nike
Favorite music genre: Country
Favorite artist: Drake
Best school subject: Math
Worst school subject: History
Special talent: Basketball
If I had a million dollars I would: Take my family on a vacation
