SWANSEA — It's not all about Emma Plante's height. Or her reach. Or the court vision. You just can't ignore the work ethic, the hustle.

It all explains not only why she's Joseph Case High School's very effective starting center, but also why her teammates chose the sophomore as a team captain.

"This year, stepping into the starter role and as a captain as a sophomore, there's a lot of leadership in there," Case first-year head coach Ellie Roberts said after the 5-foot-11 Plante (22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 blocks) led the No. 16 Cardinals (15-6) to a 52-25 Division 4 preliminary-round girls basketball win over No. 49 Smith Vocational Techical High School Tuesday night at Monahan Gymnasium.

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