During the short press conference involving Dennis Hutson and three of his players Thursday afternoon following Bridgeport’s 65-41 loss to Fairmont Senior, Quinn Stalnaker stared straight ahead for the most part. And when the senior post player was asked about her foul difficulty that led to her only playing 20 minutes and fouling out with 7:10 to play in the game, she spoke softly.

 

“It was my fault,” said Stalnaker.

 

Accepting the blame and shouldering responsibility, no matter what the situation, is likely something Hutson would want from any senior in his lineup. But Hutson would be the first to tell you no matter what Stalnaker did Thursday on the floor at the Charleston Civic Center, the Indians are only in Kanawha County this week as spectators.

 

“What she’s done this year is amazing. How she transformed herself and became a player you could occasionally expect big things from one you got something big from every night is proof of what hard work does for you,”  said Hutson.

 

As a junior, Stalnaker was no slouch. Still, she found herself getting winded early and needing to come out of games to catch her breathe. That would change in the offseason, and it would change for personal reasons that ended up playing huge dividends on the basketball court.

 

“I actually lost 30 pounds in offseason. That was the big thing. I decided I needed to get healthy and fit. I was in the gym twice a day, ate lean foods and cut my portion sizes in half,” said Stalnaker. “It wasn’t for basketball, but for me and I ended up feeling a lot better about myself. It turned out that it really helped me out in basketball.”

 

It would be hard to argue that point. Not only was she the club’s leading scorer at 16 points a game, but she did something Dennis Hutson said he’s never seen during his time as a coach. Understand, Hutson has coached for 39 years – 27 of that as a head coach – and has coached boys and girls.

 

“I’ve coached some great players, some Division I players, and I’ve never had anyone do what Quinn did this year,” said Hutson.

 

What trick did Stalnaker pull off?

 

She finished the year shooting more than 70 percent from the floor. Stalnaker hit on 146-of-206 shots during the 2016-17 season for a 70.9 percent clip. In fact, going 2-for-3 Thursday actually dropped her percentage.

 

“I am surprised to hear that my shooting percentage is that high,” said Stalnaker. “I wasn’t aware of that. I guess that’s a pretty good thing.”

 

It’s a really good thing. Hutson said her numbers are far and away above anyone he’s ever coached.

 

“It’s not even close. Alicia Noble was a dominant player for me; just fantastic. I think she was over 50 percent and was a force too,” said Hutson. “To see this is a testament to her work ethic.”

 

Hutson admits that unlike some of his players, Stalnaker plays almost exclusively in the paint. That, however, isn’t a down thing.

 

“I had Monica Clark (signed with Cleveland State at Lincoln) and she was really good, shot over 50 percent. She would step out a lot, but like Quinn she played to her strengths,” said Hutson. “She’s got her work done this year against a lot of quality inside players and against a lot of quality teams.”

 

So what makes Stalnaker so efficient?

 

“She has a really quick first step, gets fouled a lot and makes her free throws. That’s huge when you’re strong inside,” said Hutson.

 

She ended her year 110-of-131, which is just above 80 percent. She was 2-for-2 Thursday.

 

Hutson said he thought what Stalnaker produced this year was possible during the three-week summer practice period. He said she was into conditioning and working out.

 

“I expected big things after that. I was actually disappointed early on because she didn’t start out strong, but that came around quickly and this year she could play pretty much the entire game,” said Hutson. “If not, she could go long stints where last year that wasn’t the case. From game one to the end of the year it was just continuous progress.”

 

Stalnaker said she remembers the slow start. An early conversation with Hutson changed things around.

 

“I remember in the fall league I could actually play a whole game and thought I was going to start out strong and I ended up having a rough start for the first three or four games,” said Hutson. “He took me to the office and talked to me. He told me I wasn’t playing to my potential and he was right. I needed to hear that.”

 

The conversation resulted in a 16-10 season and a trip to the state tournament.  It also has the foundation in place for several more strong years to come if the underclass players follow the lead set by Stalnaker.

 

As for the next level? Bethany has shown interest. West Virginia State and a few others. Stalnaker, however, has played her last game in an official capacity.

 

“I didn’t engage them because basketball has never been something I’ve pursued to do beyond high school.  I’m more focused on my studies,” she said.

 

Like her basketball game, Stalnaker’s showing in the classroom is pretty solid too. She’s been accepted into the Honors College at West Virginia University. The goal is to get to medical school and become a doctor.

 

“She’ll be fine,” said Hutson. “Good work ethic works well in sports and it works well in your studies. I have no worries with what the future holds for Quinn.”

 

Editor's Note:  Photos from Thursday's state tournament by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.