Emma Schwarzbeck is a freshman and a point guard for Wallkill’s girls’ basketball team, who joined the team in eighth grade.

“She’s young, she’s learning,” said A.J. Higby, Wallkill’s coach. “She’s intense, and she plays hard.”

Last season Schwarzbeck averaged nearly 7 points a game. This season she improved, and she is scoring a little more than 8.5 points a game. And over her two seasons with Wallkill, Schwarzbeck is averaging nearly 8 points a game while averaging nearly 5 rebounds a game.

“It’s a great experience,” said Schwarzbeck, of playing varsity basketball for Wallkill, “but it is hard at times.”

And she started playing the game when she was very young.

“I have been in love with it since I was six years old,” she said.

Higby said Schwarzbeck, as a freshman, is still trying to understand the level of play as a varsity player versus that of playing AAU basketball away from Wallkill.

“She is learning the difference between AAU ball and MHAL officiating,” he said. “And that takes some adjustment.”

Higby said she plays good defense, but Schwarzbeck said she needs to work on her offense so she can help the Panthers.

“I need to shoot the ball better,” she said.

Schwarzbeck is aware of what she needs to do to improve as a player, and that’s a never-ending quest to become a better overall player.

“I am never going to be good enough for myself,” she said.

Schwarzbeck made her comments after a loss last week to Marlboro at home. The Panthers played a strong first half and led late in the first half. The game collapsed for the Panthers in the second half, and Marlboro went home with a victory.

Despite those troubles, Schwarzbeck enjoys the team and her teammates.

“I love the team,” she said, “I love the players.”