Port’s terrific trio named to league’s first team

Savanna Miller switched positions to point guard. Norah Merow managed the middle. Delaney Rauch stepped up her scoring.

All three Port Washington High School basketball players filled their roles so well this season that they were named to the Glacier Trails Conference first team.

Miller, a senior, led the league with 16.1 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 steals per game. For the entire season, she averaged 14.6 points per game.

 “She had an outstanding season. I think a lot of teams recognized that she was playing out of position, and she just did a wonderful job this year,” coach Dave Ross said. “She’s not really a point guard but she did an outstanding job filling that job and just taking such a difficult position.”

Miller’s physicality and aggressiveness had her leading the state in steals early in the season, but it also got her in foul trouble at times.

But Miller was one of the players Port wanted to have the ball in crunch time. She led the Pirates in free throws made and free throw percentage.

“We put a lot on her and she took it. During the difficult times, she was called upon no matter who we were playing. We needed her to stay in the game regardless of how things were going,” Ross said.

Merow, another senior, led the league in rebounds with 9.8 and blocks with 1.9 per game. She was ninth in scoring with 12.3 points per game and 12th in steals with 1.8 per game. She shot 45.9% from the field.

“We relied on her under the basket. Norah got better as the year went on. At the end of the year, she was peaking. She really took off in the playoffs,” Ross said.

Despite being a post player, Merow had the outside touch, draining nine three-pointers in 12 conference games.

“Norah presented a problem because she could shoot the three-point shot,” Ross said.

Rauch, a junior, was eighth in the league in scoring with 12.8 points per game. She was fifth in steals with 2.8, sixth in assists with 3.1 and seventh in rebounds with 5.8 per game. She shot 45.2% from the field.

“She could go inside, she could go outside. She could steal the ball. She had some big games when it really mattered,” Ross said.

Port went 10-2 in the GTC and finished second to Kettle Moraine Lutheran’s 12-0. The Pirates were 18-8 overall, winning a regional title for the first time since 2000.

Ross looks forward to getting Rauch back, along with others who have developed their skills throughout the season.

“Delaney’s more of a natural talent regarding her length and her ability to score. She’s going to bring that type of confidence into next year,” he said.

“She’s young enough where she’s still learning the game, not that they all aren’t. She still has a big upside to her game. It’s going to be interesting to see as she matures what will happen with her. She has unique length and she has a jump shot that a lot of kids don’t possess.”

Seniors name all-stars

In addition to Glacier Trails honors, Miller and Merow were named to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches All-Star Game. 

The games will be played in late June at in Wisconsin Dells and serve as fundraisers for five charities: Garding Against Cancer, the MACC Fund, Ronald McDonald House, Camp Waubeek (Easter Seals) and Hometown Heroes.

Each player raises money for the causes. For more information or to donate through Miller or Merow, visit https://tinyurl.com/5n7km7ny.