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Petty-Evans Doing Her Part For Panthers

The junior guard is emerging as one of the top players in New Jersey.

Basketball has been a passion for junior Denisha Petty-Evans since she was a young child, and this season has been her coming out party as she is proving to be one of Somerset County’s top players.

Petty-Evans is having one of the better seasons in recent Bridgewater-Raritan history as she is doing her share to keep the 6-4 Panthers at the top of the standings. Through 10 games this season, the junior guard has tallied double digits in every game, and she is averaging 17.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

Last week, in three games, Petty-Evans averaged 20.3 points, including 21 and 25 points against Cranford and Franklin, respectively.

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With still a year and a half left in her high school career, Petty-Evans is solidifying herself as one of the best players to play for Bridgewater-Raritan. With the county and state playoffs in site, Petty-Evans took time to talk to Bridgewater Patch about her team and her future goals to play basketball professionally.

Bridgewater Patch: How did you get started playing basketball?

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Denisha Petty-Evans: I started playing basketball when I was 9. I was actually a cheerleader for Pop Warner football and I was the tallest girl on the squad. My mother was asked by Rich Haverstick if I would like to play for his CYO team and I have been playing ever since. 

BP: What do you enjoy most about playing the game?

DP:  I enjoy the competitive workouts and the competition that comes with each game. I enjoy the aggressiveness of the game and being able to go out on the floor everyday and show my skills.

BP: What were your expectations entering the season?

DP: My expectations for the season are to build my team up since we are a young team, and to keep them focused. I also want to be more of a leader on the floor and lead my team to counties and states. 

BP: With the season halfway done, how have you and your teammates lived up to the expectations and goals you set at the beginning of the season?

DP: One of our team's expectations was to finish the season undefeated. Unfortunately we fell to a defeat so no longer does that goal stand, but we will continue to play hard and be the team to beat. Some expectations have not been reached yet, like County Champs and State Champs. Even though we are a young team, I think we still have room to grow and be the champs that we want to be. 

BP: How has this season been different from your previous seasons at BRHS?

DP: This season, the toughest challenge has been that we lost a lot of seniors in the past two seasons. This season we came in young and we have been growing with every game. 

BP: What would it mean to have a strong run in the county and state tournaments this season?

DP: This season, I would love to take this team to the counties and states. It would mean a lot to me as a junior, but I am pretty sure it would mean a lot to my two seniors.

BP: Are you going to play basketball at the next level? If so, where have you been looking and what is your outlook for the future?

DP:  Yes, I am going to take my basketball career to the next level. I have been looking and staying in touch with a lot of D1 colleges. My outlook for the future is one day being a player in the WNBA and playing overseas. 

BP: What has been the most memorable moment for you as a Panther?

DP: My most memorable moment was beating Gill in counties last year. It was a great feeling being able to play in the championship game on Sunday on our home court. Not only that, but Gill beat us the year before so it was a great accomplishment. Another great moment was beating Piscataway last year in states the first time in a long time. 

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