After a year of putting her team on her back and building an impressive stat line to go along with it, senior Lilly Gerwert was named Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference East Division MVP last week.
“I mean it’s just a great honor. It is a great feeling to see other coaches, and the conference saw my passion, and hard work for the game. It is also nice to finally beat my dad at something, he holds it over my head that he did better in everything, but not this!!!!” said Gerwert.
Gerwert averaged 19.2 points per game on 45% field goal percentage. She grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game and had 2.9 blocks per game. Gerwert ended the year with 422 points, cruising past the 1,000 career point mark by December. She also pulled down 210 rebounds and and had 64 blocks, truly an insane stat line.
Gerwert also had 3 games over 30 points and a career high game of 35 points in December against Bellefonte.
All of that work contributed to the Lady Devils overcoming a slow start and turmoil at the head coaching position to finish 13-10 and advance to the second round of the District 6 2A playoffs.
Gerwert finished in the top 10 among B-A girls in career points with 1,358 (seventh) and top 3 in rebounds with 844 (third).
Head coach Jim Swaney said this: “Ending her career as the seventh all-time leading scorer and third all-time leading rebounder makes her one of the best players to ever play in the Lady Blue Devil program.”
Gerwert said she was surprised to receive such a prestigious award.
“I was not expecting the award at all,” she said. “When Coach Swaney texted me, I looked and I was completely shocked. There were so many great players that were deserving of it. I just didn’t expect me to get MVP. ”
Swaney said she earned the reward because few people outworked her.
“Lilly had a great year and career at Bellwood-Antis. She is an outstanding leader who always gives her team 100% effort,” said Swaney.
Other first-team LHAC East all-stars were Tyrone’s Lola Woomer, Hollidaysburg’s Makenna Weinert and Alana Lightner, BG’s Morgan Ruggery, and Clearfield’s Sonny Diehl.
B-A sophomore Izzy Sloey earned East honorable mention.
Gerwert will continue her basketball career at Shippensburg University, a Division II school that plays in the PSAC.
