Park Center sails behind force of Schaub sisters

Park Center sisters and point guards Hannah and Danielle Schaub decide on the fly who will take the ball up the court at the start of possessions, a remarkable display of trust and teamwork.

The siblings learned to lean on each other in different ways last seasons when Hannah, then a junior, suffered a season-ending knee injury and missed the playoffs. Danielle, a freshman, played a key role in the Pirates' triple-overtime Class 3A state championship game victory.

They found strength in each other. Danielle watched as Hannah put on a good face and encouraged the team. Hannah took satisfaction watching Danielle, a role player when the season began, mature into a starter and keep the team's championship hopes alive.

Reunited on the court this winter, the Schaubs are fusing their considerable talent and tenacity to help the Pirates sail deep into March.

"They bring such passion and heart for the game," Park Center coach Chris VanderHyde said. "They just love the game of basketball. They want to be out here all the time. They're always asking, 'Can I go up to the gym?' They bust their butts."

High expectation surrounded the program, which captured the state championship last season relying on a sophomore and four freshmen on the floor to close out the game. Returning players are learning to handle the opposition's best effort.

"It's hard," Hannah said. "You have to play hard every game. One person can have an off night but everyone can't have an off night. Another person has to step up and take their place."

"I tried to be strong but I had a lot of breakdowns in practices because I wasn't playing with her," Danielle said. "But then coach pulled me aside and said I should play for her, so that's what I did."

With Danielle at point guard, the Pirates went 6-0 in the playoffs. In the title game against Marshall, Danielle forced overtime as her floating shot from the lane fell in as time expired.

Showing similar moxie against Centennial last week, the 5-4 Danielle converted a tough layup in traffic and gave Park Center a lead.

"Even though she is one of the shortest and youngest players, she does not play like her size or grade at all," Hannah said. "She's not afraid."

Stumbles at both ends of the court forced the Pirates into their first overtime game since the championship game. Enter Hannah, who displayed her leadership qualities during timeouts on the bench.

VanderHyde said of Hannah, who committed to Valparaiso: "She brings stability for us. She's wise beyond her years in that way. Her competitiveness and her eagerness to win never overshadows the fact that if something goes wrong, it doesn't mean it's over."

The Pirates fell 69-68 and players, VanderHyde said, took a December loss hard. The main culprit, he said, was waiting too long into the game to play with the requisite purpose.

For the Schaubs, after a season or tragedy and triumph, the goal is clear. They "want to get to state again so she knows what that feels like," Danielle said. The lesson last week was equally clear.

"Every game that we play this year, the other team is going to give us their best game," Hannah said. "So we have to come out giving our best effort every night."

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574