ST. REGIS – While everyone on the St. Regis basketball team got opportunities to bring in points, junior Dakota Wickham shined on the court and became the top scorer of the team.

It felt good for Wickham to be known as the top scorer on a team full of good players. Throughout the season, everyone on the team had nights where they brought in lots of points. The difference was Wickham was able to score more frequently, something he did not feel he could take full credit for.

Wickham’s teammate, Dallas Lewis, played a big part in the number of points he made for the team. He said Lewis cleared the way to the basket, giving him the opportunity to shoot. Because of Lewis’ size and strength, he was able to open the path for Wickham and get the other team’s guards out of the way.

“He just did a good job of pushing people around and down low,” Wickham said.

He felt the points he made would not have been possible without some of the other players as well. Keenan Clute, another of Wickham’s teammates, was a big help with how he communicated on the court. While Clute helped manage the action on the court, he was also a good passer. On multiple occasions he got the ball to Wickham at the right moment.

“He did a really good job of finding me when I was open and getting me the ball when I had a good chance to score,” Wickham said.

During practices, Wickham showed a strong work ethic, which contributed to his success on the court. Even during practices, he worked as though it was a real game, which led him to being better conditioned for actual games.

Wickham had a few moments, while making shots, where the world seemed to slow down as the ball flew. He recalled one game against Two Eagle River where he made a difficult jump shot and everything else seemed to pause until the ball flew through the basket.

Wickham was not the strongest when it came to shooting baskets from a distance and made most of his points from right by the basket. This meant he needed to keep himself open, not get stressed out and get his teammates to pass the ball to him.

“It’s just a good way to get into a rhythm when you’re shooting,” Wickham said. “Try to calm yourself down, at least a little bit.”

His recommendation was to constantly be moving, even when someone else has the ball. His key to getting more points was to keep open during the offense. Another strategy was for Wickham to keep communicating with the rest of the team and let them know when he was in place.

Wickham was proud to say he helped the Tigers get their first win in approximately 78 games. The season was fun for him and he enjoyed it – a sentiment he was sure his teammates shared.

“It was cool, just getting out there and having fun,” Wickham said. “We didn’t win that much, but it was fun anyway. I can’t wait for next season.”