NORTHAMPTON — Amanda Mieczkowski feels the pressure of being a freshman point guard on the Northampton girls basketball team until she actually steps on the floor.
There she reads defenses, launches 3-pointers and defends.
“I definitely felt a lot of pressure,” Mieczkowski said. “I feel like it goes away once I step on the court. I just feel part of the game.”
She won’t be able to drive a car for another few years, but Northampton coach Perry Messer gave her the keys to the Blue Devils’ offense. He’s been pleased with the early returns.
She averages 10.6 points per game and reached double figures seven times. Messer also puts her on the opposing team’s best guard defensively.
“With her mental knowledge of the game, I knew she wasn’t going to play like a freshman coming in,” Messer said. “She knows where the ball should go.”
Her teammates appreciate her production and influence.
“Honestly, I would think she’s a senior. I wouldn’t even think that she’s a freshman,” Northampton senior Megan McCarthy said. “She plays that well.”
Mieczkowski scored nine points in the Blue Devils’ 75-23 win over Agawam on Tuesday. Northampton (10-3) qualified for the postseason with the victory.
Messer unleashed the Blue Devils’ press. Agawam (4-9) committed 28 turnovers and only made five field goals in the game.
“We listen to Perry on the sideline,” McCarthy said. “He indicates what press we’re in. On the court sometimes it’s hard to hear through the commotion, so communicating with each other around the court is important so we know what we’re doing.”
Mieczkowski headed the press with three steals against the Brownies, and also added three rebounds and three assists. She made three 3-pointers, including a walk-up heat check with 2:08 left in the third quarter from several steps beyond the line.
The confidence “has developed as the season has gone on,” Mieczkowski said.
Messer wants to see even more aggression from her. At the moment she defers to seniors Lauriane Joensen (27 points), McCarthy (12 points) and junior backcourt mate Emma Tanner (15 points).
“She still needs to work on aggressively getting the ball to the hole. She’s good enough. I think she’s trying to keep everybody happy,” Messer said. “But there’s going to come a time where we’re going to need her to step up, and I know she’s capable of doing that.”
She’s also not without her freshman moments. Mieczkowski committed four fouls and turned the ball over three times against Agawam. Messer is willing to deal with the small growing pains for the benefit of Mieczkowski’s talent.
“What I want to see is you’re able to play through mistakes, forget about that one and make the next play,” Messer said. “She’s been able to handle that.”
Kyle Grabowski can be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com.