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She had better be quick, because if not, she'll get bashed and bruised. And this has been going on for a while now. And to think it's merely a game of basketball.

Well, it's not just a hoop game for Bishop Feehan High's wondrous star of a Shamrock Amy Lepley, it's a way of life.

If it wasn't her dad, Paul Lepley, making her dribble up and down the driveway, first with her left hand, then her right hand, then it was her elder brothers, Brian and Matt, both exerting their own energy in beating little sister in those one-on-one pickup games.

That was training enough and now she has to withstand the bumps and the elbows dished out in practice every day by teammate Jenna Roncarati, one of the most athletic and physical soccer/basketball athletes in the Commonwealth.

That just makes it so much easier for Lepley to then exploit whatever challenges that the Attleboro Highs, North Attleboros, Coyle-Cassidys and Fontbonnes may pose for the multi-talented Shamrock junior on the basketball floor this season. And if you haven't already noticed or heard, Lepley ranks right up there with the very best that Bishop Feehan has had in uniform - Missy Traversi, Monika Rothemich, Laura Lokitis, Danielle Fontaine - to name a few.

Lepley has scored 20 or more points in five of the six games that the unbeaten Shamrocks have played, heading into Monday's contest with Fontbonne. The six-foot Norfolk resident scored a career-high total of 30 against the Rocketeers, en route to capturing the MVP award at the 30th annual Attleboro Area Holiday Tournament.

Lepley reached double figures in scoring in 18 of 23 games last year for the Shamrocks, achieving a team-best 13.7 ppg average. This season, Lepley's numbers - a 22.3 ppg - are stupendous, as is her all-around game.

She runs the floor well, passes well, she can defend, rebound and she has tremendous floor vision - in truth, Lepley possesses basketball skills that rank her among the very best in the Commonwealth. She achieves feats so naturally on the basketball floor because the game has become second nature to her - she doesn't just think and react, she's thinking of what the next play may be as a result of her action.

It's not just the points either. She is averaging about six assists, five rebounds and four steals per game.

Lepley had the good fortune of befriending Boston College sophomore Ayla Brown and her sister Ariana, the latter being a teammate of hers with a Metrowest League team. Lepley and Brown have a lot in common, not just being Norfolk residents, both have similar styles, both play the game at levels far surpassing the average high school player.

"That was the best thing that I've ever done, joining the Crusaders," said Lepley over the weekend of her association with the New Hampshire-based New England Crusaders' 16-and-under AAU team. Lepley is the lone player from Massachusetts on the Crusaders, which took the national tournament tour last summer, stopping in Chicago, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and any number of New England outposts.

"With a team like that, you're playing against the very best kids in the country - it's not like it is around here," said Lepley of the competition. "Everyone is bigger, everyone is faster, everyone in stronger. I started playing with them in the previous fall (of '06) and then as the spring and summer seasons progressed, I felt like I was getting better."

Basketball paparazzi took notice of Lepley last season, when No. 32 helped guide the Shamrocks to the MIAA Division 2-South Sectional Tournament title. Then with the Crusaders, the Lepley name was spread nationally and soon thereafter, the mailbox at home and phone calls into Bishop Feehan High coach Mike Deady were flooded with interest from Division I, II and III NCAA programs.

The Crusaders' coach is Carol Leary, "she's tough, she gets in your face," said Lepley, who trekked to either Derry or Nashua, N.H. for weekend practice sessions. "My coach there and Mr. Deady tell me that I have to get stronger (physically) to play at the next level." Lepley is also a member of the Shamrocks' volleyball team, a nice introduction to the high school hoop season, so as to improve her jumping skills, her hand-eye co-ordination. Like most girls growing up in Norfolk, Wrentham and Plainville, she played most every sport, but began to have a special interest in basketball when she was about in the fifth grade and then began personally noticing her improvement when she was in the seventh and eighth grades.

"My dad (who played at Springfield College) always pushed me to get my left hand stronger," grinned Lepley of her dribbling, so much so that foes often think that she is a southpaw. "My brothers (who both attended St. Sebastian's Academy - Brian now at Northeastern and Matt now at Fairfield) always played one-on-one against me. They both wore No. 32 too, so when I got called up to varsity after the Christmas tournament in my freshman year, that number was available and I took it."

Playing against bigger and better foes, playing against boys has sculpted Lepley into one tremendous player. She plays at both the off-guard and small forward spots for the Shamrocks and the Crusaders, but can also move to the point-guard position very naturally.

"That's a big advantage, being able to dribble with both hands," said Lepley. "That and I've always been pretty quick - I could never run track, I don't have the endurance just yet. I'm a little taller than most of the girls and because I'm quick, I'm able to get by people (for better shots)."

Lepley can score from anywhere, unless Roncarati gets in the way. "We go to the gym (the Wrentham Development Center) all the time. She is so 10 times stronger than I am and it depends on any day who wins!"

The Shamrocks had a winning combination last year (23 wins) and Lepley understands that team chemistry is tremendously important, be it for her high school or AAU team. First and foremost, Lepley is a team member, she doesn't cater to how many or what college scouts are in the stands.

"I mean, there's always pressure to play well and I put a lot of pressure on myself," said Lepley. "When I was a freshman and a sophomore, people didn't know me. Now they do. It's nice to get those cards and letters from colleges, it makes me feel good, but I know that if I want to play at a high level (collegiately), I have to get better and I have to get stronger.

"It's one thing to be good around here, it's another to be good at the next level."

PETER GOBIS may be contacted at 508-236-0375 or via e-mail at pgobis@thesunchronicle.com