By Robert Wilson
Andie Flatgard was primarily a backup guard on Jackson Prep’s MAIS Class 5A state championship and Overall runner up teams last season as a sophomore.
The 5-foot-6 junior is playing a much more important role this season and if she keeps playing like she did last week she could take Prep to even bigger heights this season.
Flatgard averaged 24 points and shot 11 of 16 (68.8 percent) from 3-point range to lead Prep to victories over North Delta and Hillcrest Christian last week.
For her outstanding performances, Flatgard has been named the Performance Therapy/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Girls Basketball Player of the Week.
Flatgard scored 23 points, 8 of 15 from the field, 5 of 9 from 3-point range, with eight rebounds and two assists in a 59-38 victory over North Delta Friday. She followed with a career-high 25 points, 8 of 10 from the field, 6 of 7 from 3-point range, with six rebounds and three assists in a 56-43 victory over Hillcrest Saturday.
Flatgard is averaging a team-high 16.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists for 9-2 Prep this season. She is shooting 38 percent from field, 38 percent from 3-point range, and 72 percent from the free throw line.
“Andie really showed out last week,” Prep coach Michael McAnally said. “If her 23 point showing on Friday wasn’t impressive enough, she backed that up with 25 on Saturday. I looked at the stat sheet after the game and saw that she was 8-10 from the field and 6-7 from the 3-point line. My first thought was ‘that’s bad coaching.’ I’ve got to get her more shots at that clip. Her success so far this season comes as no surprise. Andie really works on her game outside of practice. She’s a very driven athlete. Andie is a great teammate. She’s our vocal leader on the floor, both during games and in practice. Andie is always encouraging teammates. She just loves the game and it shows.”
Flatgard missed the first half of last season after knee surgery in September. She averaged 5.2 points in 21 games, seven starts, once she returned on Jan. 3.
