Numbers don't lie regarding the ability of Panther senior

If you see Meadow Heights’ senior center Rachael Hellebusch eyeing the scoreboard in the Panthers’ girl’s basketball game against Valley tonight with frequency, you’ll have to understand that she is doing so for a multitude of reasons.

Not only will the 6-foot Hellebusch want to follow her team’s quest for a victory in its opening game of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 Tournament at Lesterville High School (6 p.m.), but for Hellebusch, numbers are something that piques her interest.

“I’ve loved mathematics for a long time,” Hellebusch explained.

If you’d like to digest some numbers, as they relate to Hellebusch’s outstanding hoop career, here are some: She not only has helped the Panther program to 53 victories over the past four seasons, but she recently topped the 1,000 career points scored mark.

“That was definitely a great accomplishment,” Hellebusch said. “I’ve always looked up to a lot of the great players here at our school who have done that. It has always been one of my goals since I was a little girl.”

Hellebusch hasn’t been a “little girl” on the basketball court in some time.

She brings size, athleticism, strength, and skill to the paint for Meadow Heights, all traits that first-year Panther coach Tim Winkler has found ways to utilize this season.

“Rachael is very basketball smart,” Winkler said. “She has a good basketball IQ. She is relentless when she gets the ball around the basket. You are challenging a bull if you try to guard her.”

Intellect is an obvious trait that anyone who converses with Hellebusch picks up on quickly.

As good as she is on the court, and she is very good, you can’t NOT be impressed with how composed, articulate, and confident she is off it.

Hellebusch will attend Murray State University to study mathematics next year and has plans to “teach at the college level or maybe high school.”

“I like logic and numbers, and everything ends with either a right answer or a wrong answer,” Hellebusch said. “I feel like basketball is similar. You either have a higher number or you don’t.”

Meadow Heights (11-15) is the No. 3 seed in this week’s tournament while Valley (8-15) is the No. 6 seed.

The Panthers topped the Vikings in Patton to open this season by a 52-27 score but will need Hellebusch to play to her potential if they hope to make a deep postseason run.

“Rachael is just a tough player,” Winkler continued. “She is very strong. She has been everything to this team.”

Here are some more numbers on Hellebusch.

She is averaging over 18 points per game and had 32 in a home win against a very solid Woodland team earlier this month.

“If you are going to challenge her, you better be ready,” Winkler said, “because she is going to bump into you.”

Hellebusch admits to being a “really competitive person,” and she takes that to the softball diamond as a first baseman in the spring. However, she says basketball is her passion.

“Basketball is definitely a good way to get that (competitiveness) out of my system,” Hellebusch said. “In a good manner.”