Sharp shooter

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Emily Bulfin is a quintessential gym rat.

The Lakewood Ranch High senior shooting guard boasts natural potential and, yet, she constantly seeks to improve.

Rarely a day passes when Bulfin is not immersed in shooting drills, helping lead the Lady Mustangs to victory or showing her teammates what it takes to be successful both on and off the court.

In essence, she is a coach’s dream.

Bulfin has spent the past four years perfecting her game, and now she’s on the verge of accomplishing a feat only two players before her have done — reaching the 1,000-point mark for her career.

Bulfin needed 200 points to break the mark prior to the start of the season. Bulfin, who is averaging 15.4 points per game, is close to the milestone, but Bulfin admits she doesn’t know how many points she has scored thus far.

And for good reason. Lakewood coach Tina Hadley hasn’t shared that information with Bulfin. She hopes the suspense will keep Bulfin motivated, as well as focused.

“It’d make me really happy because only a couple of other people at Lakewood Ranch have scored 1,000 points,” Bulfin says.

Growing up in Chicago, Bulfin spent many snowy afternoons in her driveway shooting into a plastic hoop.
Bulfin eventually joined a YMCA basketball league about eight years ago and has been playing competitively ever since.

“I love the aggressiveness of it — just being able to be so competitive with each other and getting all of your anger out,” Bulfin says.”

Bulfin joined the Mustangs squad as a freshman, and she has been focused on improving ever since.

“As a freshman, I was really scared whenever I stepped onto the floor,” Bulfin says. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I still get nervous in games, but I’ve gotten a lot better.”

Bulfin got off to a relatively slow start this season — an occurrence she says has been a trend throughout her career.

“At the beginning of the season, I missed all of my shots,” Bulfin says. “I think every year it takes me a few games to get my shot going. I overthink things a lot.

“I’m not good under pressure,” Bulfin says. “Coach Hadley usually takes me out then, because she knows I can’t deal with it.”

But, it didn’t take long for Bulfin to find her rhythm. She scored 33 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead Lakewood to a 70-35 victory over Sarasota Christian Nov. 25.

Since then, Bulfin has helped lead the Lady Mustangs to a 15-2 record (4-0 Class 7A-District 10) and a No. 2 ranking in the state in Class 7A.

As the lone senior on a squad with three freshmen and six sophomores, Bulfin has taken it upon herself to push Lakewood toward its ultimate goal of playing in the state championship.

But, for a player who will undoubtedly be remembered for her shooting ability, Bulfin is content to do whatever it takes to perfect her game while engaging her teammates at the same time.

“I just kind of do my thing and they follow me,” Bulfin says. “I’m not a verbal leader. I don’t like telling them what to do.”

BY THE NUMBERS
8 — The number of years Bulfin has been playing competitive basketball.
4 — The number of years Bulfin has been on Lakewood’s varsity squad.
15.4 — The number of points Bulfin is averaging so far this season.
200 — The number of points Bulfin needed at the beginning of the season to reach 1,000 points in her career.
0 — The number of seniors, besides Bulfin, who are on Lakewood’s roster.
9 — The number of 3-pointers Bulfin scored in a single game last season to set a new school record.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].