Isabel Chaparro can score the basketball.
She had a game-high 34 points Monday, leading three Riverview players in double figures in a 69-25 Section 4-2A victory over Frazier.
The Raiders senior tallied 35 points — 24 via eight 3-pointers — in a 51-25 triumph over Apollo-Ridge on Dec. 22.
Earlier in the season, Chaparro delivered 44 points with nine field goals from beyond the arc to lead Riverview to a 67-50 nonsection victory over California.
Chaparro, a Valley News Dispatch first-team all-star last year who helped lead the Raiders to an eighth straight WPIAL playoff appearance, has been the unquestioned scoring leader for a youthful Riverview team hungry again with postseason expectations.
While she appreciates the opportunity to fill the basket with points, she also understands and relishes the opportunity to get everyone involved in a winning effort.
“Last year, we didn’t have as many players as this year,” Chaparro said. “We weren’t as deep as we are this year. But we are still a pretty young team. As a senior and leader on this team, I can see what we have and how important it is to make sure everyone is involved. That is how we win games, with how we play at both ends of the court. It’s really fun to watch how this team has come together and how the younger players have really developed.
Chaparro was second on the team in scoring last year at 14.1 points per game. She added 7.6 rebounds per contest.
She knew she was going to see her scoring average increase with the loss of VND Player of the Year Kat Tsambis (18.3 ppg.) and second-team selection Lily Bauer. With the help of her coaches and teammates, she approached the season without pressure. Just going out and playing her game was the answer.
“I came in with goals knowing that I was going to score more, and also what I wanted to do with passing the ball and playing good defense,” she said.
“It was about having a great senior year for myself and also a great season for my teammates. It was a challenge, but I have been able to adjust. Again, with a younger team, it has allowed me to expand my game.”
Chaparro always has been known as a markswoman from 3-point range, and that hasn’t changed. But working more on driving to the hoop, she said, has helped her versatility.
“Definitely driving to the hoop and getting more shots in the paint has been an important thing for me,” she said.
“I worked a lot on that in the offseason. I see the importance of improving my ball handling, driving inside strong and putting myself in position to shoot foul shots and making sure that is a consistent part of my game.”
Riverview first-year coach Andre Carter said he saw, as a volunteer assistant last year, Chaparro’s impact at both ends of the court. Since then, he said he’s been impressed with her continued drive for self-improvement and her leadership with her fellow seasoned teammates and the younger girls constantly stepping into bigger roles.
“One of the biggest things I’ve seen with her is that when she has a big game, she is giving her teammates credit for everything she is doing,” Carter said.
“What we are trying to emphasize here is everyone playing their role, no matter what it is, big or small. Yes, Izzy is going to be the main scorer, and she has that green light to score and make things happen, but we have several others chipping in scoring as well. Defense and rebounding, running in transition, moving with the basketball, communicating, it is a team effort to get wins. We are doing that and getting better each game. Izzy is a big part of that. I can’t wait to see her continue to impact games at a high level.”
Riverview’s win over Frazier — junior forward Blake Huffman scored 14, and freshman guard Mia Murphy added 10 — put the team at 2-0 in the section and 5-3 overall with a key stretch ahead of them to close out the first half of section play.
The Raiders host Ellis on Thursday, visit Winchester Thurston in a first-place clash Monday and travel to Jeannette on Thursday in a rescheduled game from last month.
“I feel really good about where this team is right now,” Chaparro said. “We put together a really strong foundation in the preseason and (in December). I have a ton of confidence with what we can do over these next couple of weeks. Coach Andre has big goals for us as well. We are really focused in practice and doing the right things to be prepared for the games ahead of us.
“It is a great feeling to know we have done the things to feel confident going into these games coming up, including Winchester and Jeannette, and show them what we can do.”