Chesterton's Puntillo perseveres through sub-.500 season

As a 2-year-old, Caroline Puntillo began playing basketball in her grandma's basement.

"My parents were afraid that I would get burned out at a young age," Puntillo said. "There's not a day that I do not want to come (to the gym). I love it and I cannot imagine myself without basketball."

Puntillio is the leading scorer for the Trojans, scoring 16.7 points per game. She missed one game due to illness, but she's scored in double figures in every contest she's been a part of this season.

"She does a great job of taking the ball to the basket; when she goes, she goes hard," Chesterton coach Jack Campbell said of his junior captain. "She's also a very good setup shooter. She's expanded her game to score off the dribble and and she can shoot the 3."

Puntillo was the team's second-leading scorer (9.1 ppg) last season, and the graduation of leading scorer Lindsay Gorman did adjust the junior's role this time around. Puntillo spent the offseason fine-tuning her game.

"I hit the weight room, because I couldn't finish last season," Puntillo said. "I drove a lot last year, but I couldn't make (shots). I worked hard on that, along with dribbling and 3-pointers."

Even though Puntllo has scored in double figures in all of her games, she doesn't try to be a selfish player.

"It's not because she's putting up 25 shots a game; I don't know if she's had double-figure attempts in more than two games," Campbell said. "She's really efficient on offense.

"I never want to be seen as a ballhog by my teammates or anyone else," Puntillo said. "If I have an open shot, I'll take it. If I see someone else open, they'll get the shot."

Even with Puntillo's offensive production, the Trojans are a mere 4-8 overall. Seven of the losses have come to teams with a combined 69-27 record.

The record might disappoint Puntillo, but it also drives her to do more.

"There's not a day I don't come in here and give 100 percent for the team," Puntillo said. "It's frustrating, but at the same time, I like to prove people wrong. I'm doing what I can to prove that we can win."