Westview girls basketball has size, length to create nightmares for opponents

Here’s our look at the Westview Wildcats girls of the Class 6A Metro League.

By René Ferrán

Over the next two weeks, SBLive Oregon will break down more than 100 Oregon high school basketball teams. Here’s our look at the Westview Wildcats girls of the Class 6A Metro League.

Afton Keeney photo by Dan Brood

WESTVIEW TEAM PAGE

HEAD COACH

Kevin McElroy, third season at Westview (151-142 overall; 20-30 at Westview)

2019-20 AT A GLANCE

Overall record: 9-16

League record: 4-8, fifth in Metro

Playoffs: Lost 68-42 to Liberty in first round

ALL-LEAGUE PLAYERS DEPARTED

G Danielle Llamas, third team

PLAYERS TO WATCH

P Afton Keeney, Sr., 5-11

Keeney, a three-year starter in the program, led the Wildcats in scoring and rebounding as a junior and was named to the all-Metro second team. 

P Alison Kantor, Jr., 6-3

Kantor is a defensive force in the paint, leading the team in blocked shots last season. She also can score in the low post and is a good free throw shooter. 

W Emma Bevens, Jr., 5-10

Bevens is a solid all-around player who will move into the starting lineup in place of graduated third-team all-leaguer Llamas and fellow wing player Emily Collyer. 

W Claryn Keeney, Jr., 5-11

Afton’s younger sister likely will join her in the starting lineup this spring. Like Bevens, Claryn Keeney is a good all-around player who will space the floor and get to the rim. 

G JaLay Harris-Burns, Jr., 5-7

Harris-Burns transferred from Irrigon, where she made the all-Eastern Oregon first team, averaging 14.7 points and three steals per game for the Knights. 

P Audrey Kantor, So., 6-2

Alison’s younger sister swung between the JV and varsity teams last season. With the graduation of 6-6 post Grace Miller, Audrey Kantor will see her role increase this season.

OUTLOOK

The Wildcats started last season 5-6, including victories over eventual playoff teams Glencoe and Clackamas, but a couple of injuries during the second half of the season took their toll. 

They remained competitive in league play — they dropped four games by 10 or fewer points — and ended up squeaking into one of the final playoff spots and falling to Liberty in the first round.

Westview returns 10 players from last season’s roster who gained valuable experience, only one of whom is a senior — second-team all-league post Afton Keeney, who averaged close to 14 points and eight rebounds per game in 2019-20. She’ll be counted upon to lead a youthful squad that again boasts plenty of size.

“We’ll want to establish an inside presence offensively, and defensively, we want to use our length,” McElroy said. 

COACH SAID 

“Our goal is to improve on the areas where we had been deficient statistically from the previous year. The top four teams in our league are tough, and we need to be able to compete for four quarters with these teams to be where we want to be.” — Kevin McElroy

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