Lightning tries to reload sans Wright

Not only are players adjusting to the Sage Hill School new girls’ basketball coach, but also the absence of Haywood Wright.

In is Lou Silverman. Out is the Daily Pilot Player of the Year the last two years.

“New roles for everyone,” said Silverman, a former frosh/soph and junior varsity coach at Corona del Mar taking over for Jim Perez, who resigned after one year.

“It has been an easy transition.”

Easy for the walk-on coach to say when the team hadn’t opened its season.

But, Wright’s absence actually wasn’t a major factor Tuesday night, when Sage Hill defeated Connelly, 66-12.

Silverman hopes that can be a trend. He expects new players to give Sage Hill a new identity, one Wright elevated during her final two years with all-around play.

The 6-foot-2 center, who’s now at Yale, did everything as a senior. She averaged 13 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 4.6 steals per game en route to leading Sage Hill to the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A semifinals and back-to-back Academy League titles.

Replacing Wright’s production will be a challenge. Silverman can turn to forward Tierney Danner. At 6-1, she’s not as tall as Wright, and as a sophomore she’s not as experienced as last year’s All-CIF selection.

But Silverman said she has the ability to develop into a force down low.

Danner, a member of the Nike Swish 15-and-under team, averaged five points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Along with her, junior Katie McKeon and senior Kaitlin Tyre return off a team that won 15 consecutive games during a 23-4 season.

“I can count on Katie and Kaitlin, and that’s why they are two of my three captains,” said Silverman of his two guards, who combined for more than 10 points, close to eight rebounds, more than six assists and three steals per game last year. “We lost [four] seniors, and they are providing leadership.”

One of those seniors gave the Lightning their biggest threat from behind the three-point line.

When teams clamped down on Wright in the paint, Laura Schaefer buried them. She created so many problems, helping Sage Hill almost make its first section title appearance.

Schaefer, who averaged 8.6 points per game, hit six three-pointers in a game once.

She holds the school and Academy League record for three-pointers in a season with 64.

Now without Wright and Schaefer, members of last year’s Daily Pilot Dream Team, Sage Hill will try to figure out how to fine-tune itself.

All of this with a new coach.