Lady Mavs' Whittenberg and Alexander Are Two of a Kind

The sport of basketball lends itself to dynamic duos. Magic and Kareem, Stockton and Malone, Kobe and Shaq. One outside and one inside. For as long as they can remember—literally—’s Morgan Alexander and Tori Whittenberg have been just such a duo. So dynamic in fact, that they both topped 1,000 career points last month.

They first paired up on the softball fields at Springfield Park twelve years ago and now find themselves in the middle of what has been a magical senior year. The Lady Mavericks are ranked in the top 10 in the state with a 12-1 record heading into tonight’s match-up with regional foe Dorman, who is also ranked in the top 10.

Alexander and Whittenberg have been integral in the strong start. Alexander leads the state in rebounds per game and Whittenberg is knocking down more three-pointers per game than anyone else in the Palmetto State.

Since those first games on the softball diamond the tandem has amassed some impressive numbers. They’ve played on 24 teams together; won the 2004 Dixie Youth Championship in softball; went undefeated in middle school basketball, including a pair of county championships.

Whittenberg’s dad Dennis estimates they’ve played in over 600 games together, and that’s not counting all the unofficial times they’ve taken the field or court.

While the girls have built up an impressive array of statistics, it’s clear that what is most important to them is their friendship. One is the yin to the other’s yang. Tori is frenetic and talkative while Morgan is reserved and quiet. They know this as well as anyone. Tori says Morgan has a calming effect on her, while Morgan says Tori helps bring her out of her shell.

When the girls’ athletic careers started they were often the only girls playing. Dennis Whittenberg believes playing against boys at a young age was a big help. “They both started out against boys and that’s really important for girls who want to be good basketball players,” he said.

Competing with and against boys was not odd to his daughter. “It never occurred to me that it was unusual to play against boys,” Tori said.

Though Alexander and Whittenberg excelled at softball, they eventually agreed to focus on basketball and made the starting lineup as freshmen. Alexander says the decision to drop softball was easy simply because basketball is more fun,“There is a lot of standing around in softball, but in basketball you’re always on the go.”

And it is on the basketball court where the girls’ connection is most obvious. “We just sense each other,” Alexander said. Whittenberg unsurprisingly echoed the sentiment, “We can see each other without looking.”

The girls have aspirations of playing in college, but that is on the back-burner for now. With Whittenberg burying threes and Alexander hauling in rebound after rebound, the inside-outside punch will be formidable. To be sure, the pair haven’t done it alone this year. They’ve been helped most often by fellow senior Kentra Washington, who has emerged as a strong third scoring option.

Tori Whittenberg believes the Lady Mavs control their own destiny. “If we just come out every game and play with heart we will be tough to beat,” she said.

If they do that they’ll certainly add to their point total, but just as importantly, they’ll add to their memory bank.