Koshel returns to lead Neepawa girls

Rhea Koshel is facing an uphill battle, but she has the tools to make it work.

The senior guard has returned to the Neepawa Tigers after two years away. From the first game of the season on Friday, it’s clear she could be their superstar.

The Tigers drew the short straw, matching up against the Crocus Plainsmen in the quarterfinals of their Early Bird varsity girls’ basketball tournament, falling 53-33. But Koshel led all scorers with 18 points and kept her team much closer than most against a team with a gymnasium packed with students cheering them on.

Neepawa coach Jordan Wickens said you can “absolutely” expect more of that from Koshel this year.

“She came back to us this year and she’s shouldering a lot of the load for us. She really helps get us scoring, helps us in practice, gets us going,” Wickens said.

“She’s bringing her team up, she’s holding everyone accountable, she makes our whole team better. She just makes sure we’re doing the right thing at all times.”

In her freshman year, the Tigers got a spot in a AAA provincial qualifier but lost both their games.

Then, Koshel moved to Gladstone for personal reasons and joined the William Morton Warriors.

She was named Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association athlete of the week late in the 2023-24 season, having helped William Morton up to fourth in the AA rankings while averaging 23 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and five steals per game.

The team reached AA provincials, but fell in back-to-back games.

The following year, the Warriors lost their final provincial qualifier game 57-51 to the Teulon Saints.

Now, Koshel is back at the AAA level and looking to make this season her best one yet.

“Our team’s pretty fresh, pretty new, a lot of the girls just started to learn basketball. But honestly, they’re starting to pick it up pretty well,” Koshel said.

“They’re pretty coachable, our team listens pretty well … by the end of the season, we’ll be pretty decent.”

Koshel scored Neepawa’s first seven points, then quieted down for a bit as Crocus opened up a first-half lead. She hit a big three-pointer to cut the deficit to 31-24 partway through the third, before the Plainsmen poured on the pressure with their full-court press.

The hosts ended the quarter on a 13-0 run, and coasted to a 20-point victory after a low-scoring final frame.

“It felt pretty good for the team. It was definitely a confidence booster,” Koshel said. “We came in thinking ‘Oh, we’re fresh, we’re new, we’re not going to do very well, but it really picked the team and the girls up.”

Koshel only started playing in Grade 9, since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her chance to compete in junior high.

But as a strong athlete from a basketball family, she tried out for Neepawa’s varsity team and made it.

She remembers her first-ever game well, as it was also at the Early Bird tourney. She said she wasn’t confident at all but leaned on her seniors and let them push her day in and day out.

Since then, she has played for the Targeted Athlete Program (TAP) West under Brandon University women’s assistant coach Matt McLeod, who she credits with a lot of her growth over the past few years.

Koshel also suited up for Team West at the Manitoba Games in Dauphin in 2024, along with a bunch of Plainsmen and Vincent Massey Vikings.

It’s still early in the season, but Koshel feels right at home already.

“It’s been a great decision. I’m glad to be on this team,” Koshel said. “The players are very nice, confident — well, not so confident but at practices they are. Overall, I think we’re going to be a very good team.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com