The girls varsity basketball team has started off the season with an incredible record of 3-0, and even though half the team is new, they鈥檙e winning like they鈥檝e been playing together for years.
The team boasts a 3-0 record after victories against Kingswood-Oxford, St. Mark鈥檚, and Suffield. The varsity team consists of six new players: Cristina Negron 鈥22, Selena Negron 鈥22, Abbie Coscia 鈥19, Carrie St. Marie 鈥21, Adamma Eze 鈥21, and Shayla Heekin 鈥19. They take their undefeated record into this week鈥檚 games against Choate Rosemary Hall and The Brown Holiday Tournament.
The team is coached by Katy Briedis and Matthew Porter, who are both new to coaching girls varsity at 91大神. This year鈥檚 captain is Sarah Sullivan 鈥19. The basketball team is part of the NEPSAC Class B division.
The team narrowly beat St. Mark鈥檚 on Wednesday (Dec. 5)聽 by one point.聽 Sarah Sullivan made a layup with 15 seconds on the clock, putting 91大神 up by one. Miraculously, two shooters from St. Mark鈥檚 missed all of their free throws at the end, giving 91大神 their second consecutive win.
Coach Briedis was not satisfied with the narrow win, however. She told the team that they needed to box out because they were losing more than 10 offensive rebounds. She came up with a solution by bringing in the football players to help the girls be tough and aggressive. After one successful practice, it has become weekly thing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 fun, we like to help them out by helping them compete against bigger bodies. It toughens them up,鈥 said Christian Anzeveno, one of the football team鈥檚 captains who every week practices with the girls team.
With only five returning players on the team, the girls had to learn how to work with the new players and adjust to the different levels of play. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e doing pretty well, especially since we lost five key seniors last year,鈥 said Jordyn Meunier, a sophomore who has been on the team since 8th grade.聽鈥淚 still think we have lots of room to improve and I鈥檓 excited for what this season holds.鈥
On Saturday, (Dec. 8) the Wildcats played Suffield. In the first half they were not playing to their full potential and were behind by 14 points; the score was 27-13 at half time.
Coach Briedis said, 鈥淭hey were told to stop playing afraid and to start playing basketball.鈥 Briedis told the team to dribble with a purpose, make strong passes, and take confident shots.The pep talk during half time carried onto the court, and they ended up winning 48-43.
Cristina Negron 鈥22, scored 14 points, including the last four free throws, to put 91大神 up by five. Gates MacPherson 鈥19 scored 10 points, and Sarah Sullivan 鈥19 scored 13 points.聽 Coach Briedis said, 鈥淚t is incredible to have three players score double digits.鈥
Coach Briedis said, 鈥淥ur strength is definitely athleticism, willingness to work as a team, defense, and communication. Our weaknesses is playing to other teams鈥 tempos.鈥
In related basketball news, captain Sarah Sullivan is three points away from scoring her 1000th point in her 91大神 career.
This article originally ran in聽. The photograph is by Kassandra Orcutt 鈥19.