By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
HAMILTON – A strange but refreshing moment occurred Monday night in the Hamilton West High School gymnasium.
With the Hornets girls basketball team beating South Brunswick by 21 points early in the fourth quarter, the Vikings Katie Jansson was on the floor kicking her legs, gritting her teeth, swinging her arms all in an effort to scramble after a loose ball.
Had she gotten it, it wouldn’t have made a difference in the game at that point.
But that’s Jansson’s way.Even later in the game, a Hamilton player threw a long outlet pass and she leaped in front of the intended receiver for the steal. She could have easily let her catch it and just played defense as the game was pretty much over.
But that’s not Jansson’s way.
Even when a game is all but lost, one would never know it watching the scrappy junior. Her main sport is softball, but it looks like she’s playing for a basketball scholarship when she’s on the court.
”It’s more fun,” Jansson said of her hell-bent style. “I like playing like that better. It pumps me up. I get myself pumped up.”
It also helps set the tone for the rest of a Viking team that is undersized, less quick and less experienced than most of its opponents. But despite a 1-5 record after the loss to Hamilton, South Brunswick has never laid down in a game this season
The Vikes have lost on buzzer beaters, in overtime and by three points or less in several games.
They did manage the season’s second win on Tuesday, rolling past J.P. Stevens as Bianca Celi scored 24 points and Jansson grabbed nine rebounds.
The bottom line is, they are a team that every coach dreams of having – one where the players keep coming at the opponent no matter what the situation.
That comes directly from co-captains Jansson and Shannon O’Brien. While O’Brien plays her role as leader well, coach Beth Barrio is looking for the senior to try and step up her scoring a bit more.
”At this point she’s more of a passer,” the coach said. “We’re working on her being a little more confident offensively, taking a shot. We don’t want her to be just a role player, which she was used to doing last year by passing the ball to our big scorers.
”But she’s doing a good job of being a vocal leader, things like that.”
Meanwhile, Jansson is doing both. The forward is averaging close to nine points and 10 rebounds per game and recently had a double-double.
”I just work as hard as I can to get in and try to move people out of the way and try to get the ball,” Jansson said of her rebounding ability.
Against Hamilton, which features one of Mercer County’s top post players in Brielle Martinez, Jansson had five points, seven rebounds and countless tipped passes and other intangibles.
”Katie’s a pure athlete,” Barrio said. “Whatever she’s playing, I would imagine she excels.”
She also focuses on the task at hand, every moment of the contest.
”She’s a perfectionist, so she’s harder on herself than any of us could ever be,” Barrio continued. ‘If you watch her play you could literally see her talking to herself. She puts her head down if she does something wrong, she really is thinking and trying to do everything she can to put the team first.”
And despite the Vikes’ won-loss record, Jansson is loving every minute of it.
”I’ve been playing ever since I can remember, even if it was out in my driveway with my dad,” she said. “I always wanted to play basketball. Softball’s my main sport but I love basketball.”
That’s obvious from the way she throws herself around on the court, setting an example in several different ways.
”She’s really been stepping up for us on both ends of the floor, not just points-wise,” Barrio said. “She’s stepping up defensively and being a vocal leader as well. All three in one, that’s more than you can ask for – physical, mental and vocal.”
Jansson’s spunk has obviously permeated throughout the team, which makes each contest a fun event for her.
”If we lose, as long as we play hard I’m OK,” she said. “I don’t like to lose, but, if we try hard, sometimes it’s all you can do.”
That’s a trait that has Barrio smiling about this year’s team. In fact, a large amount of high school coaches would smile more about a team that tries hard and loses than one filled with prima donnas that win.
”They go into games knowing they’re smaller or not as fast,” Barrio said. “But they keep playing hard, they keep fighting and they stay in it until the end. They make it hard for the other team. You have to like that.
”You can’t teach heart. And it really makes a difference.”
Barrio pointed to the Hamilton game as an example. SBHS lost by 20, but won the second half by a point.
”We know they have a great team with seven seniors and a 1,000-point scorer (Martinez),” the coach said. “But still, we wanted to make it a little more difficult. At halftime we just said to them, that their effort wasn’t up to what it’s been all season long and we wanted more regardless of the score.
”The second half they really did come out and play the way they could. They held them to 15 points and she had all her starters in at the start (and a few in at the end).
”You have to give them a little credit. They forced some turnovers. They did a nice job. You build up to four quarters of that, and you can play with anybody.”
Sounds like the Jansson philosophy at work.
She’ll play with anybody, and make it as difficult as possible for them from start to finish.

