Gloucester's Velez is a fearless leader
On Dec. 30, Nikki Velez scored all 16 of her team's fourth-quarter points in Gloucester's come-from-behind win over Cinnaminson. Two weeks later, she generated 37 total in a win over Wildwood - another game her team trailed in the final period.
On Dec. 30, Nikki Velez scored all 16 of her team's fourth-quarter points in Gloucester's come-from-behind win over Cinnaminson.
Two weeks later, she generated 37 total in a win over Wildwood - another game her team trailed in the final period.
The numbers alone hint at a fearless leader with ice in her veins.
But there are little moments that define Velez, one of South Jersey's most clutch players.
As gaudy as her statistics are, she's the type that needs to be seen to be appreciated.
Her coach, George Bakey, likens her to former Phillies star Chase Utley.
"She's not going to say much - she's quiet off the court," he said. "But she leads by example."
A Jan. 16 matchup with Gloucester Catholic offered a glimpse into what makes the senior point guard worth the price of admission.
In most years, Gloucester vs. Gloucester Catholic is a meeting between two evenly matched rivals.
This year, it was one of the best teams in the state - Gloucester Catholic - against a small, inexperienced Group 1 team from Gloucester.
The game was played in a Gloucester gym packed with mostly Gloucester Catholic fans. The afternoon felt like a Rams pep rally.
But Velez apparently didn't get that message.
When the game started, Velez - standing just 5-feet - was stone-faced.
She dribbled the ball to the top of the key and knocked down a three-point shot with a defender in her face on the game's first possession.
She scored eight of her team's 10 points in the first quarter. When the buzzer sounded, the crowd was stunned, and Gloucester was down by just four.
Velez was all but sneering when she walked to the bench.
It prompted an all-out effort by Gloucester Catholic - a significantly bigger and stronger and more athletic team - to stop Velez over the next three quarters and win the game.
"I've always considered myself a really competitive person when it comes to sports," Velez said. "Once I'm in that zone, I just try to block everything out. Once I'm scoring, I just keep scoring. I try to set an example for my team."
The attitude was tailor-made for this year's Lions.
Velez was the only returning starter for Gloucester. She's the floor general and leader of a team in need of just that.
She's the biggest reason a team expected to be in rebuilding mode is 7-4 and a serious contender in South Jersey Group 1.
"I'm just lucky to have her - it's like having another coach," Bakey said. "She's not afraid. And we're trying to teach the younger players that there should be no fear. When you have kids like Nikki who expect to win and expect to excel, they're going to go ahead and do it, and the team will follow that lead."
Velez comes from a basketball-crazed family. Her mother scored more than 1,000 points in high school in New York City. Her sister, Kathleen, was also a star point guard for the Lions until graduating in 2013.
"When she was a senior, I was a freshman, and we would always play against each other in practice - we still do, actually," Nikki said. "That's really helped me get better."
Nikki is set to play softball and basketball for Penn State-Brandywine. She hopes to eventually transfer to the main Penn State campus and focus on softball.
"And I want to be a physical therapist after college," she added.
For now, though, Velez is homed in on the final stretch of her high school basketball career - one that's looking increasingly bright.
"I want to win a South Jersey championship," she said. "Our team keeps improving. We're playing well, and I think we can do it."