July 21, 2020

Taylor Langan and Emily Dilger both understand the passion and persistence that it takes to get on the basketball court at the college level.

For Langan, a Jefferson alum and 2018 Herald Player of the Year who will be entering her redshirt sophomore season at Colgate, it meant building her shot and defensive skills to go along with her uncanny dribbling skills.

For Dilger, a Sparta alum who finished her first season at Salisbury in February, it meant consistently going one-on-one with Spartans assistant coach Derek Hall to work on her post moves before and after practice.

Finding a spot on the college court, or even the varsity floor in high school, can be a full-time job.

“I think the biggest part of basketball is leading by example. If you can get one player to lead by example then other players will follow,” said Dilger, who averaged eight points and 7.7 rebounds in her first season with the Sea Gulls. “I think that’s super important. Once you see how someone else is praised, you want to be praised like that and it gets other people to work.”

Area youth girls basketball players got to learn from two of the best to come through the area in recent memory when Langan and Dilger spent time as counselors at the BT Basketball Basketball Camp at the Sparta PAL last week.

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