NL’s Saeger hits milestone
At a young age, Jada Saeger was captivated by the game of basketball.
Her interest in the sport became evident when her father used to take her to different parks, and when she spotted a basketball, that’s where Saeger’s focus remained until they left to go home.
“My dad always told me when I was really young that when he would take me to a park and when I saw a basketball all I wanted to do was to play and shoot it with,” said Saeger. “I don’t even remember that I was so little, but I can definitely see it, from how much I love the game today.”
Saeger’s passion for the game is evident and has been showcased on the court in her four seasons with the Northern Lehigh Bulldogs.
That passion and love for the game has helped Saeger become the newest member of the Bulldogs’ 1,000-point club after she surpassed the mark on Saturday afternoon in a 19-point victory over Salisbury. Saeger scored 23 points en route to Northern Lehigh’s first victory of the season.
“It was great to get our first win on Saturday, everybody was really on their game,” said Saeger. “It was just a really great day. It feels great to score 1,000 points, I was actually nervous to do it at home, because I was worried I was going to cry, but I didn’t. It was so cool to have everyone come out and support me and then on top of it, the most important thing was we got our first win.”
Saeger started playing basketball in the summer going into her fourth-grade year, and pretty much knew from the get-go it was something that she could excel at. Saeger certainly wasn’t wrong, but it came with a lot of hard work, and plenty of time at the gym even when she didn’t feel up to it.
“My dad has always pushed me to be better and work harder, even when I didn’t feel like going to the gym, he pushed me to get in there and work. He’s helped me get here, I’m proud of him for helping me get here, and he’s proud of me and I’m proud of my teammates too. I’m proud to be their teammate, because they’ve all helped me get here,” added Saeger.
“If anybody deserves to score 1,000 points, it’s Jada,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Ken Shankweiler. “She’ll leave practice and then go get another workout in, that’s how hard she works. She’s become a really good leader, she’s plays defense as hard as anybody and she can obviously score with the best of them, and trust me I use her, I run her, and she welcomes that, she’s a great kid.”
Saeger averaged an impressive 18.45 points per game as a junior, and has continued right where she left off, averaging 21.8 ppg. through the team’s first five games this season.
Saeger’s offensive skill set has helped her reach the 1,000-point plateau with her ability to shake defenders with the ball, her dribble drive prowess to be able to take contact and finish, along with her ability to stop and pop.
However, Saeger’s defensive tenacity has been just as important.
Saeger is one of the more active on-the-ball defenders in the Times News area, and her aggressive demeanor on that side of the floor creates turnovers, using defense to create transition offense.
Make no mistake, Saeger is a true two-way player.
“Most of the time I actually like playing defense more than offense. I can use my agility and quickness to create turnovers, I really take pride on being a good on-the ball-defender. Plus, if I can get my hands in the way and create steals, it gives us more opportunities to score.”
Next up for Saeger is a potential playoff berth for the Bulldogs, and to continue to play basketball at the next level.
“I just want to finish my senior season strong and help my team to the playoffs,” said Saeger. “I also want to continue to play at the next level, I have a few ideas of where I would like to do that, but for right now, I’m just keeping all my options open.”