#SDSportsAwards, girls basketball: Versatile Ciara Duffy a lethal force for Cavaliers

St. Thomas More star forward Ciara Duffy, who led the Cavaliers to a third consecutive state championship, is nothing if not versatile.

The future Division I wing (Duffy signed with the University of South Dakota) did damage wherever she went last season, which was everywhere, earning status as a mismatch nightmare.

“She has quite the offensive skill set being able to dribble, able to pull up and shoot, and also to get through people and finish at the rim,” said coach Brandon Kandolin.

Duffy even stretched out the defense with a long-ranged attack. As a result, she was named the Lewis Drug South Dakota Sports Awards girls basketball player of the year.

“A lot of times she shot threes from five, six feet behind the line,” Kandolin said, “and that leaves the defense wondering, ‘What the heck can we do?’”

MORE: See other winners of the S.D. Sports Awards

In her senior campaign, Duffy averaged 19.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game. Her 23.3 points a game (on 61 percent shooting) at the state tournament led all scorers. As a versatile centerpiece on a talented squad, Duffy didn’t always stay in the same spot. As a tenured starter and senior, she was a leader on and off the court.

“She would know how to stay in the moment and be open and fun,” Kandolin said, “but when it was time — when it was an hour before a game — she’d turn that focus on. As soon as she would, that was a cue for everybody else to do the same.”

Growing up, Duffy didn’t have to stray beyond the front yard to find her basketball heroes. Older brothers Brendan and Liam started the sibling tradition, and older sisters Caitlin and Moira continued it. Next year with the Coyotes, Ciara will have the chance to share the court with Caitlin in her final season.

“Ciara is one of the smartest players I’ve ever coached,” Kandolin said, “and you can attribute that to her family, the bloodline there, but also just wanting to compete and win.”