Crown Point senior forward Sophie Hart’s importance to the girls basketball team quickly became apparent to new coach Brad Stangel. So Stangel and his staff picked Hart, whose teammates made her a captain last season, for that role again along with senior guards Mady Johnson and Aaliyah Menchaca. “You take over a new program, you get what you get in a lot of ways, and having someone like Sophie here as a veteran player who’s played a lot of basketball and knows the lay of the land is an invaluable piece for us and for me,” Stangel said. “Maybe she isn’t the most vocal, but all of the kids have a great respect for her. “You hope everybody’s like Sophie. You can trust her. You know she’s going to be in the right spot. She’s prepared for the game. There’s a nice quality to her, and she’s charismatic. You’d want your daughters to be like her. We got very lucky to have somebody like Sophie here when we took over.” In her third full varsity season, Hart is averaging only 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds off the bench for the Bulldogs (19-4, 6-1), who finished second in the Duneland Athletic Conference and open the Class 4A Munster Sectional against Morton on Tuesday. But numbers don’t adequately reflect her contributions to the program’s most successful regular season since 2021-22. “She’s played in a lot of games, and for her to accept the role that she has as a senior coming in and playing behind two younger players and going in there and playing very well, that’s a testament to her,” Stangel said. “She played outstanding against Lake Central. She played very well against Marquette. She’s had invaluable stretches for us throughout the season. “It’s not easy for people who are seniors to accept the role of coming off the bench. But she’s done it. She’s been supportive of her teammates. She’s been supportive of our staff, a brand new staff for her. We couldn’t have been luckier to have somebody like her.” Hart’s teammates agree. “She does all the little things,” Crown Point sophomore guard/forward Addison Seibert said. “She’s always there when you need her. She’ll always make the extra pass. She’s just someone you always want next to you on the court.” Crown Point junior forward/center Ivy Henderson expressed similar sentiments. “Sophie’s a great off-the-bench player who’s always ready to go when she comes into the game,” Henderson said. “Whenever the team needs it, she’s able to make a hustle play or the right reads on offense. “Not only is Sophie a dependable player on the court, but she’s also someone that I can go to if I ever need anything off the court.” Hart enjoys being that teammate. “I like to be a leader on the bench and in the locker room and just try to keep everyone together and communicate with everyone,” she said. “I try to get other players open. I love setting screens for Ava Richie or getting the ball to Ivy. Just do anything for the team.” During the school day, Hart participates in an internship at Nason’s Appliance in Crown Point. She works from noon to 2 p.m. after classes in the morning. “It’s a good way to interact with people,” she said. “It’s good for socializing and getting my foot in the water in the working world.” Hart intends to become a dental hygienist. She’s considering Mississippi, which has a dedicated program, or Indiana, where she would study biology. “I had braces for like eight years, and I was constantly in the dentist office and the orthodontist,” she said. “It’s kind of weird, but I was always so interested in the people working on my teeth. It kind of interested me, oddly.” It would not be odd for Hart to flourish in any endeavor, according to Stangel. “Whatever she does, she will be successful,” Stangel said. “Wherever she wants to go, being a dental hygienist, she will be great.” Not that Stangel is looking forward to a team without Hart. “It’s going to be sad to see her go,” he said. “I’ve only known her for about eight or nine months, but she’s been an invaluable part of our basketball team, and hopefully we can play a couple of more weeks here with her.” ...read more read less