They don't have the swagger one would expect of the metro area's top-ranked girls basketball team. Neither do they possess any highly touted All-Metro players who are being recruited by major Division I colleges.
In fact, the Seton Keough Gators don't even have one player whose scoring average is in double figures.
But make no mistake.
The Gators are the area's No. 1 team, even if they are unlike any of The Sun's top-ranked teams in recent memory.
Their demeanor reflects a quiet confidence rather than a swagger. As for individual honors, coach Jim Stromberg's team is a collection of role players more interested in team accolades than personal recognition.
That unselfishness, along with depth, is why no one is averaging double figures in scoring. To compensate for the lack of one or two "go-to" players, Seton Keough's offense is pretty evenly distributed -- among 12 players.
Perhaps the key element that sets the Gators apart, though, is their intense desire to prove their critics wrong.
After the graduation of All-Metro first-team selections Melanie Morris and Meghann Donovan last June, no one expected the defending Catholic League tournament champs to pick up from last year, when they were ranked No. 1 for most of the season.
Despite gaining the No. 1 ranking nearly three weeks ago, the Gators (11-1) still feel more like underdogs rather than top dog.
"I definitely feel we have something to prove, because everyone underestimates our talent as a whole," said Seton Keough senior guard Charity Carbine, whose 5.1 scoring average last year was the highest among this season's returnees. "They looked at Melanie and Meghann as our two stars, which they were, but they weren't the whole team."
Said senior forward Andrea Pinheiro: "Maybe we wanted to prove it to ourselves more than anything else."
Even Stromberg, who fervently encourages his players to believe in their abilities, admits his team's success thus far is a bit surprising.
"At the beginning of the season, I always try to forecast our record," said Stromberg, who is 60-9 in three seasons at Seton Keough. "The last two years, I've been off by one game. I'm already off by four this year."
Although Seton Keough may have different players this season, the foundation of its success is once again built on smothering man-to-man defense, motion offense and grueling practices.
"We make sure practice is harder than the game itself," Stromberg said. "You may not be the quickest or the tallest team, but it's been proven that you can outwork people."
The Gators' defense has been able to neutralize their lack of offensive firepower this season. They are outscoring their opposition by an average margin of 52-37.
"Whenever you play Seton Keough, you know you'll have to earn everything you get," said John Carroll coach Kathleen Shannon, whose team dropped a 48-45 overtime decision to the Gators last week. "That's a trademark of Jim Stromberg. He looks for defensive intensity."
Seton Keough is embroiled in a heated Catholic League race with No. 2 Mercy, No. 3 St. Mary's and No. 4 John Carroll. Heading into Sunday's showdown with St. Mary's, the Gators are 4-0 in the eight-team league; their three closest rivals each have a loss.
Seton Keough also is 4-0 against teams ranked in The Sun's Top 20, including a 3-0 mark against Top 10 teams. Overall, the Gators have won 10 straight since losing to Ursuline, the fourth-ranked team in Delaware, in the season's first week.
What makes the victories over ranked teams even more gratifying is that several standouts on those teams were selected for Amateur Athletic Union squads this past summer ahead of several Seton Keough players, who either didn't make the teams or received little playing time.
One example is Seton Keough point guard Amanda Foster, who leads the Gators in scoring (9.7), assists (2.8) and steals (5.1) and is second in rebounding (4.4).
Foster, a 5-foot-4 junior, was relegated to being one of the last players off the bench for the Chesapeake Bay Hurricanes, which featured players from teams such as No. 5 McDonogh and No. 8 Arundel -- both of whom the Gators have defeated this season.
"No one gives the players on this team much credit," Stromberg said. "People think Amanda is a little too short, a little too slow and she can't shoot well enough. But I'd take her over a lot of players that other people think are real good."
Playing within capabilities
What can't be measured by statistics is Foster's competitiveness and toughness. If stats were kept for diving for loose balls, she surely would be among area leaders. She understands her role and plays within her capabilities. The same can be said for her teammates.
Carbine (7.7 points a game), for instance, is the team's second-leading scorer and primary ballhandler along with Foster. Pinheiro (7.6 points a game, 5.6 rebounds a game) is the top rebounder. Both are four-year players with plenty of experience in big games.
