When people think about high school girls basketball in North Fulton, they usually only think about two teams: Milton and Roswell. In the AJC's most recent state poll, both teams were ranked in the top 10.

However, there's one team in North Fulton that's flying well under the radar: the Lady Raiders of Alpharetta. With 14 wins already, the Lady Raiders are only two victories away from setting the school record for wins.

Last year, the team broke several barriers: they finished with a winning season for the first time ever (15-14) and they made it to the state tournament for the first time in school history.

With those accomplishments out of the way, Coach Angela Anderson Hurt says the girls have set the bar even higher this year, "Our teams first goal is to win 20 games this season," the seventh-year coach says. "Our next goal is to finish number one or two in our region in the regular season. Next, we want to play for the region championship, and then make it further than we did last year in the state tournament."

For an outsider looking in, those goals may seem lofty for a team that's experienced only one winning season in the school's seven-year history, but Anderson and her squad definitely have the talent to achieve them.

Thanks to the play of sophomore superstars Kylee Smith and Lauren Brown, the Lady Raiders are already off to an impressive 14-2 start this season, a start that includes a 55-51 win over AAAA state title contender Chattahoochee.  

Brown and Smith [Pictured] were only freshmen last year and Hurt says they've both improved immensely this season, "Kylee has improved in becoming a more developed outside shooter," Hurt says of her blonde bomber that averages an amazing 21.4 points per game.

"Lauren is probably our most improved player on the team," the veteran coach says of her point guard. "She has come so far from last year, she is confident at the point guard position, she is able to be a leader on the floor, her ball handling skills have improved, she sees the floor well, and she's an offensive threat every time she touches the ball."

While Alpharetta's guard play is tremendous, any good coach will tell you that it's tough to win without a strong force below the basket: the Lady Raiders have that in the form of junior Delaney Hollenbeck. The 6'4" center averages 5.2 blocks per game to go along with 9.2 points and nine rebounds. While Hurt loves Hollenbeck's 9.2 points per game, she really appreciates the junior's defense, "Delaney and her defensive efforts are by far something that are often overlooked," says Hurt. "Without her on the inside, we are a very different team both on the defensive end and on the offensive end."

Besides Hollenbeck, Smith and Brown, Adrie Morales and Jasmine Newsome round out Alpharetta's starting five. Hurt calls Morales the "life of the team," saying "it's hard to miss the energy  that Adrie brings to the floor." As for Newsome, Hurt says every teams needs a player like her, "Jasmine is a player that does anything that has to be done to win. I like to say she does all of the dirty work."

The team's success has been a blessing for Hurt, mainly because it means less stress,which is a good thing for a coach that's seven months pregnant. Hurt's wishes for her team this season were short and simple, "Don't lose games and don't do anything to make me yell or get mad. So far, I'd say winning 14 out of 16 games is pretty good."

And in case any players or fans were worried that Hurt [pictured right, pre-pregnancy] wouldn't make it through the season, she'd like to assure everyone she'll be around, even it means coaching until the state title game in March, "I am due April 4, so if all goes as planned I should be fine even if we advance far in the state tournament. As I told my players parents, 'I may be coaching in an very large track suit but I will be there!'

The Lady Raiders, 5-0 in region play, will back in action on Tuesday when they host Centennial. However, their biggest test of the young season will come on Thursday when they travel to Roswell for a game with the region leading Lady Hornets. That game will tip off at 6 p.m.