By Jon Clifford

| Special to The Tribune

East High’s Madison Roemer is making a habit out of delivering memorable performances in an otherwise forgettable season.

Entering the week, the junior guard led the Leopards in scoring (16 points per game), rebounding and steals. But it’s been hard to focus on those numbers, on her double-doubles and her 20-rebound game, when the bigger numbers hang overhead on the scoreboard:

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At a glance

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Madison’s Avenue

East junior Madison Roemer is averaging 16 points per game and also leads the team in rebounds and steals.

The Leopards have struggled this season and have just one region victory entering the week.

Roemer is a two-sport star who led the soccer team with 14 goals in the fall.

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• A 21-point loss to Cyprus.

• A 17-point loss to Clearfield.

• An 18-point loss to Bountiful.

• A 36-point loss to Woods Cross.

"It’s frustrating," Roemer said. "Sometimes you don’t know where to go, but you have to continually push yourself and push your teammates.

"I think it’s hard once you’re on a losing streak to win again. You have to look to outside people, outside coaches and your parents to really motivate you and make you remember why you’re playing," she added.

The Leopards had lost six of seven entering the week, with five losses by double figures. The lone victory came Jan. 27 at Highland, when Roemer scored a career-best 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

East has struggled most of the year to find a complementary scorer to take the pressure off Roemer. Senior guard Ata Utuone is second on the team at 6 points per game, but coach JoAnn Orr said she struggled staying out of foul trouble.

Orr also said Leopards’ opponents this season have often enjoyed a significant size advantage.

"Not having that big post down low who can open up the outside has been a little bit tough for us," Orr said. "We’ve basically got guards down there playing. We’re pretty undersized."

Roemer’s importance to the Leopards was on display last season, when she twice injured her back and played just nine of their 22 games. East lost 10 of the first 11 games after the injury.

"She was getting better and better as the season went on," Orr said of Roemer, who played seven games before the injury flared up again. "She was learning the system and I think if she wouldn’t have been injured, she would have been putting up [numbers] similar to what she’s done this year.

"She’s one of the best players I’ve ever had at being able to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. She’s got a great first step. She’s a natural basketball player."

Roemer is a natural athlete. In the fall, she led the soccer team with 14 goals and helped East reach the Class 4A soccer semifinals.

She sidestepped the question of whether she is a soccer player first, and said she has some time before she has to make that decision.