Throughout her high school basketball career, Hampshire’s coaching staff has been trying to convey to senior guard Whitney Thompson just how good she can be.

When Jeff Pearson, her AAU coach, echoed those sentiments, things really started to click.

“He’s just really helped her,” Hampshire coach Eric Samuelson said of Pearson, his high school teammate. “We’ve always tried to tell her how good she can be.

“Along with him also doing that, she’s really starting to realize, ‘OK, I can do this.’”

Thompson put it all together Tuesday night in a 64-34 Fox Valley Conference win over Jacobs. She scored a game-high 22 points with six assists, three steals and three rebounds.

Chloe Van Horn tallied 18 points for the Whip-Purs (7-5, 5-1) and Ashley Herzing had 10. Camryn Cook paced Jacobs (2-8, 1-5) with 14 points. Liv Schuster had nine points and 10 rebounds.

While the numbers are nice, Thompson maintained that wasn’t her focus as she prepared for this season.

“I think I’ve improved quite a bit,” Thompson said. “My whole goal this year was to become a leader on the floor, set up my teammates for baskets.

“If I score, I score, but the whole goal is to help the team win and not just get my own.”

That team-first attitude manifested itself as Hampshire took a 24-6 lead in the first quarter. Thompson scored 10 points, Herzing had eight and Van Horn added six, with the Whip-Purs spreading the wealth.

“It’s a really good advantage for us,” Thompson said. “Usually teams face guard one person, but we’re all five. Every person in the lineup has scored double digits before.

“You can’t just shut down one person. You shut down one person, we’ll go to another.”

That’s what made Samuelson so happy Tuesday. After a 2-5 start to the season against tough competition, Hampshire has won five straight games.

He believes the lessons learned in those early losses are showing now.

“We’re at our best when we just move the basketball and play good defense,” Samuelson said. “When they can come out and play like they did (Tuesday), we’d like to think that’s why playing those early games and seeing it helps.

“I loved how selfless they were. I’m really proud.”

Jacobs coach Jonny Reibel knew the difficulties his team faced against the experienced and talented Whip-Purs.

“They have so many ways to beat you,” Reibel said. “If you take one thing away, they still have three or four other options. It was a challenge for us.

“They’re college basketball players. They’re going to improve every year, and they have. We knew what we were up against. Playing a team like that is a good test for us.”

In that regard, Reibel was right on as Thompson made her college commitment last week to Carthage.

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“I’m really excited to play there,” Thompson said. “I feel comfortable with where I’m going. (The process) was a lot of fun. I’m glad I got to go see other schools, figure out where I fit.

“I think it’s really good experience for people that want to play at the next level.”

Knowing she can hang at that level has helped reinforce everything Pearson and Samuelson have been telling her.

Although deep down, Thompson already knew she belonged.

“I feel like I’ve always had confidence in myself,” she said. “I didn’t need people to tell me that I was good. I always felt like I could do it.

“It does help (hearing it), but I’ve always wanted to play basketball at the next level.”

Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.