For as talented as they are individually, Joslyn Bricker and Brooke Zartman are elevated by their shared success as a tandem.
WARSAW — The individual success of Joslyn Bricker and Brooke Zartman is intrinsically linked.
That is to say, the best thing that can happen for the Butler-bound Bricker is for Zartman to hit a 3, and the best thing that can happen for the Miami (Ohio)-bound Zartman is for Bricker to find success attacking the basket.
That chemistry hasn't always been there, the two agreed, an understandable admission considering the circumstances.
Bricker and Zartman are prolific talents individually. They are both capable of taking over a game at any given moment, have over 1,500 career points and are virtual locks for Indiana All-Star honors — not to mention their involvement in the Indiana Miss Basketball conversation. They have earned the opportunity to be the primary lead for top-ranked Warsaw (20-2) as it seeks a return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
But as Bricker and Zartman matured, they realized how their individual styles of play complement each other and embraced the concept of shared success, between themselves and among their other teammates.
"We are two different players, but we play so well together," Zartman said following Tuesday's 66-52 loss to No. 3 Homestead. "I create open shots for her driving, because they can't help (inside) or she'll kick it out to me for 3, so I think that's really hard to defend."
They feed off one another, coach Lenny Krebs added. "They understand what the other person does and how much work they put in to get there."
Bricker is the team's point guard.
Defensively, that typically means guarding the opponent's top offensive threat, a challenge she's up to more times than not.
Offensively, Bricker, the school's all-time leading scorer, leads Warsaw in points (25.3 ppg) and is tied for the team lead in assists with Alexis Neely — whose emergence offensively has been critical, as well — at 4.9 per game. She is a savvy, versatile weapon on that end of the floor, and has further elevated her game from behind the arc, where she's a career-best 55-for-101 (4-for-7 vs. Homestead).
Bricker's ability to convert perimeter shots (career 43% 3PT shooter) makes driving easier. And once the defense starts collapsing on her, she's able to either finish around the rim or kick out to an open teammate.
"If I don't have the ball in my hands, (Bricker) is great with it. She runs everything so well," Zartman said. "I just love being around her. … I can't wait to see how far she goes at the next level."
Unsurprisingly, those Bricker kickouts usually wind up with Zartman, who holds the school record for 3-pointers in a season (110) and career (359 and counting), and boasts a career conversion rate of 43%.
"Brooke is unbelievable," Bricker said. "Every time I pass to her, I honestly don't even think I need to go rebound. I'm just like, she's got it. It's going in. And she's such a threat that it opens up things for other people, too."
Zartman is best known as a 3-point shooter — and at 359 made 3s she is within reach of Olivia Nickerson's all-time state record (406) — but she's really grown as a multi-level scorer since her freshman season, shooting 66% from 2 as a junior and 57% now as a senior.
Her defensive development is notable, as well. She admits she "wasn't good at all'" on that end of the floor as a freshman, but, with encouragement from Krebs, she's focused on growing that aspect of her game by becoming quicker, stronger and smarter.
Zartman notched a season-high six steals vs. Evansville Central at the Hall of Fame Classic, and has 55 on the season — a solid encore to last year's career-high 80 takeaways (216 career) and nearly double her freshman year total (29).
"Brooke's really stepped it up defensively, I mean our man-to-man, our 3-defense, she's really stepped it up," Neely said. "I'm really proud of her — and I always know she can knock down those shots."
"In the past, Brooke's been known only as a 3-point shooter, but she's evolved her game so much," added Bricker of Zartman, who is averaging 19.1 points, 2.5 steals and two assists.
"She's become that multi-level scorer. … (And) you see her out there rebounding and also being that great defender," Bricker continued. "I'm so proud of her and how she's grown in that."
Takeaways from Warsaw's 66-52 loss to Homestead
A few quick hitters…
>> Neely's absence was very noticeable Tuesday, as it allowed Homestead to really dial up the pressure on Warsaw's two leading scorers. Zartman said they tried running a two-man game with her and Bricker running screens for one another — and it worked for a stretch, but the Spartans were able to take it away.
"We tried some different things, and then they switched everything," Bricker added. "They're just so solid defensively."
>> Bricker did almost all the scoring in the first half, accounting for 26 of Warsaw's 30 points. She was limited to five points and a single field goal in the second half.
Bricker said Homestead began doubling on her when she had her back turned, which made it very difficult to maneuver. "And they're very physical defenders, too," she continued. "They made it really hard on me and all of us to score."
>> Warsaw will inevitably slip in the coaches poll, but don't even think about selling off that stock. They're good enough to win a state title.
"This is a good game that exposed us in multiple ways and we still found ways to get better even with pieces missing," Zartman said. "This is a really good game and work on the things we need to work on."
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA girls basketball: Joslyn Bricker, Brooke Zartman, Indiana Miss Basketball Warsaw
Category: General Sports
