All season long, freshmen were an important part of the Knoxville Girls Basketball Squad. Coach Jim Uitermarkt did not know what he had in players like Melanie Sullivan, Norah Pearson, Larissa Wells, Nikolle Kussatz, and Emma Dunkin. All five contributed in some way, but it was Dunkin that eventually found her way into the starting lineup and played a vital role in Knoxville’s near comeback against Gilbert in Saturday’s regional. Uitermarkt tells KRLS Sports Dunkin had a lot of pressure heaped on her, but handled it well.

Uitermarkt:
“That was some good stuff. But as a freshman there’s going to be ups and downs, and Emma had those ups and downs, but we couldn’t be prouder of what she did.”

Dunkin ended the season as the third leading scorer for the Panthers at 5.6 points per game, grabbed 79 rebounds, had 21 assists, 39 steals. The Panthers ended the season with a 20-3 record.