Sometimes, it’s easy to tell Veronica Bafia is the only senior on the Lockport girls basketball team. Consider any timeout. All eyes seem to turn in her direction.

It’s subtle, but it’s a form of leadership Bafia takes seriously, no matter the age gap.

The Porters’ roster features three freshmen and five sophomores, plus juniors Lucy Hynes and Chelsea Brooks, so what’s it like being for all intents and purposes the older sister?

“There’s no one my age,” Bafia said. “It’s trying to connect with people now from everywhere, so it’s nice I get to talk with a bunch of new people and experience every level.”

Her leadership style, which she characterizes as a split between focusing on her own example and the occasional vocal component, is rubbing off on her teammates.

Sophomore forward Makenna Klacko looks up to Bafia.

“She’s very strong,” Klacko said. “She’s very hardworking. She can push you hard. When we’re in practice, she’s always going hard so that makes you want to go hard.”

Bafia went hard again Saturday, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds in a 46-35 loss to Romeoville in the Oak Lawn Holiday Tournament championship game.

Bafia added five offensive rebounds, helping the Porters (6-8) enter halftime with a 20-18 deficit. She also hit a 3-pointer from the right corner midway through the first quarter.

Klacko also had nine rebounds — four on the offensive end. As a freshman playing on the JV, Klacko watched Bafia’s game and appreciated the fact she was “ball hungry,” so she applied that work ethic to her own game.

Lockport coach Darien Jacobs is in his second year, and before arriving at the school from downstate, he knew little about Bafia outside of the fact that she was aggressive and highly motivated.

“I didn’t know really what all to expect,” Jacobs said.

But Bafia quickly turned Jacobs into a fan.

“Very pleasant surprise,” he said. “She does whatever I ask of her. If I ask her to guard the other team’s best player, no ifs, ands or buts, she does it to the best of her ability.

“I think every coach wants a player like that.”

Indeed. Bafia also made her first varsity appearance halfway through her sophomore season, coincidentally in 2021 at the Oak Lawn Holiday Tournament.

That was a special time, she said, because it gave her the chance to play alongside her sister Angelica, a senior.

The experience, while not easy by any stretch, made her transition to that level a little less bumpy. And since then, Veronica has thrived, especially in the leadership area.

“She’s very positive,” Jacobs said. “She’s always amping us up and always trying to bring us up when we’re down. It’s really her body language, her passion and her drive.

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“The other players feed off that energy.”

After high school, Bafia has committed to playing basketball for St. Xavier, a choice that checks all the boxes for a player who plans on majoring in nursing.

The distance is close enough to home that her family can come see her play, and it’s also a smaller school, which she prefers.

But the rest of her senior year is there to contend with first, something she’s looking forward to. The Southwest Suburban Blue race is going to be tough but will make the Porters better.

That said, where is Lockport going to be in a month?

“We’re going to progress,” Bafia said. “We’re not getting those final, couple of minutes points. We need to push through them during the game to get those points.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.