Island girls overwhelmed by Bonackers


Olivia Garrison flies by a defender.

Though the girls left the gymnasium with another loss March 12, they carried with them the reassurance that they’re getting better. It was the junior high Indians’ second battle with East Hampton. Their first was a brutal defeat on the squad’s February 23 season opener. Though they lost 50-18 in this rematch, it was an improvement.


Coach Becker wasn’t upset: “I’m still very proud of what we were able to accomplish with what we have against a very good team.” A key part of East Hampton’s victory was their numbers: “7 [Shelter Island] girls playing almost 20 girls, they’re going to wear us down. We don’t have the depth that the other schools have. Conditioning is always going to be an aspect … we had trouble getting back on defense.”


He added, “We had a little problem with Aterahme [Lawrence] and Sam [Capello] with foul trouble early in the game.” The girls are typically two of the team’s highest scorers.


Despite their challenges, the Indians fought hard. “Brianna Rietvelt and Olivia Garrison were really running the point,” said Coach Becker. Reitvelt continues to be a force beneath the net, getting lots of put-backs on the offensive rebounds and scoring a team-high 9 points. 


The Indians continue to refine their fundamentals to prepare themselves for high school basketball, which is a far more important goal for Coach Becker than victories. And if this rematch is any indication, the girls are moving towards that goal: “They’re coming along,” says Coach Becker.


Their next game is at 4 p.m. today at Ross.