The numbers game isn’t favoring the Marian girls basketball program.

In addition to that, the Fillies won’t have their best player to start this season.

So what does the magician do to hold off the charge against Marian before it becomes a runaway stampede?

“What we’ve always done, play defense,” answered long-time Fillies head coach Paul Brutto.

Brutto isn’t pushing any panic buttons, but he has to find a way to keep his team glued together until Emily Shaud, the do-everything gal, returns from an ACL injury she suffered last June.

Shaud, who averaged 13.12 points per game a year ago and hit 27 three-pointers, was the fulcrum for Marian while leading the team to a 20-5 record (with three of those losses to Mahanoy Area, the defending Division 3 champs of the Schuylkill Girls Basketball League).

“It’s tough, but we’ve got to go on and try to keep these girls focused by playing both ends of the court,” said Brutto. “We’ll need transition baskets, we’re not very big, and we have 10 players (less Shaud).”

While Shaud tries to rehab — and may return by the start of the New Year — the Fillies are also minus two big power inside players in Emma McClafferty and Isabelle Schwabe (9.48 ppg), who have both graduated.

“We got a lot of production from Emma and Isabella inside last year,” said Brutto. “Losing Shaud now makes us work harder … she was a double-digit scorer, but she controlled the tempo, drove inside, dished off and just had that great court awareness you can’t teach.”

So where does Marian go to pick up the slack?

Macy Alansky is capable of scoring, but Brutto says she doesn’t have to force the issue, and needs to just play within herself.

“We don’t want her thinking that she has to do it all for us,” said Brutto. “She’s got a good shot from midrange; she understands the game and has been a starter for us the past two seasons.”

In other words, Alansky — who had 26 triples last winter — is the key right now and has to step up and take control. There is help, though, as Julia Kreisl and Abbey Digris were both sparingly tested on the varsity level last season. And it’s also a plus that three other athletes (Mia Nemeth, Jacalyn Possessky and Lyndsey Reinoehl) have decided to play basketball after being absent from the sport for two seasons.

“It helps that a few softball players have decided to come out for the team,” said Brutto. “They’ve played in the past. They’re a big help right now; otherwise we would be down to (six) players. The good thing is they know the game and it will take a while for them to get back into (shape) and knowing the game from an (instincts) point.”

Brutto will probably have to dig deep into the bench early on, and will also be looking at Taylor Walsh and Kerrigan Digris to get playing time.

“It is what it is,” said Brutto. “Right now, we’ve got our work cut out. You look at a really good Mahanoy Area team, Nativity has added some players and I like the way Chris (Conroy) runs his offensive sets at Shenandoah Valley — very precise and they do it very well.”

So where does Marian fit in?

“I’m not sure if Shaud will even be ready by the New Year … you know how those (rehab) things go?” said Brutto.

It’s a long road to hoe, for sure, and only time will tell.