At Lake Norman, the Shehan sisters are ready to chase another NCHSAA 4A state title
The Shehan sisters haven’t quite put the 2022-2023 season behind them just yet.
The sisters — 5-foot-11 forwards Alexis and Samantha — were a big part of a Lake Norman squad that came a game short of an undefeated run and its first state championship.
So it’s not unusual for the subject to come up between the Shehans and their Wildcats’ teammates as they prepare for the new season — and a new chance to finish one game better.
“Oh yeah, for sure, the conversation does come up,” Alexis Shehan said. “It’s definitely a common goal for us because we know it’s attainable, but it’s obviously going to be a very different team this year.”
Lake Norman finished the 2022-23 season with a program-best 31-1 record — the only loss came on March 11 to Panther Creek in the NCHSAA 4A state championship game.
Most of the Wildcats’ players from that team return this season, save one — and an important piece, at that. Kirsten Lewis-Williams, the team’s lone senior who is now playing collegiately at Buffalo, was Lake Norman’s leading scorer (20.6 points per game) and rebounder (8.8 per game).
“Leadership is a big thing for us,” Samantha Shehan said. “(Lewis-Williams) had a great big leadership role, because she was the oldest. She didn’t care if it hurt your feelings, she told you what she needed to tell you.
“That is a difficult role to sometimes fill, but we have good leaders on this team, me included. Our main thing is to keep people accountable. That’s the only way that we can get better.”
But the rest of that title-run nucleus is back, led by Samantha Sheehan, Lake Norman’s No. 2 scorer (14.7 points per game) and Alexis Sheehan (No. 4 at 11.4 per game. Also back is now-sophomore guard Kelsey Rhyne, the team’s No. 3 scorer (12.8 per game) and No. 2 rebounder (6.9 per game).
In fact, the Wildcats’ lone senior this season is a newcomer — Kendyll Moore, a 5-10 guard-forward who transferred in from Corvian Community School in Charlotte, where she averaged a team-best 17.6 points per game for the Cardinals last season.
“We’re still going to be a very good team in our own way,” Alexis Shehan said. “We’re still trying to figure things out. We still have a younger team, but it’s a very common goal we all have. That’s good, since we all have that goal, we can all work towards the same thing.”
So that leaves the Shehans having to step things up on and off the court this season for Lake Norman — not just in production, but in their new roles as two of the team’s leaders.
“They have really stepped up in a tremendous role — not only with their ability on the court, but the ability to lead,” said McKenzie Graham, who is entering her seventh season as the Wildcats’ head coach.
“The only senior last year (Lewis-Williams), it’s hard to replace that both on the court and off the court. But these two have taken an incredible approach to leadership this year, and it’s something that we definitely needed.”
