Girls Basketball: Indians crush Cosmos in first win

After a brutal defeat at the hands of East Hampton on December 8, the Shelter Island girls basketball teams were rearing for a victory in their game at Ross on December 16. Not only did both the varsity and the JV squads take home solid wins, junior Kelsey McGayhey took home a personal best: a career-high 30 points.

VARSITY COMES OUT STRONG

The Indians laid down the law right off the bat. Ross started off with an aggressive defensive press, but the Indians sent them back to check their playbook when in their first four possessions the girls flew past defenders to beat the press for four easy layups. “They quickly stopped pressing us at that point,” varsity Coach Peter Miedema said with a grin.

The girls’ steady offensive charge benefited in a huge way from their tight defense, which forced repeated turnovers throughout the game. “That was definitely the key for us,” said Coach Miedema, “to make steals and create turnovers to get passes out in front and to create 3-on-2 or 2-on-1 situations, where it’s easier for us to score baskets.” The Indians ended the first quarter with a 15-5 lead.

But as the girls continued into the second quarter, their energy started to flag and the Ross score started to rise. “That’s when our intensity started to lack a little bit … we just became slow to react to the ball,” the coach explained. The Indians defenders gave the Cosmos’ shooters the space they needed to start sinking shots from the field, and when the girls started taking longer to bring the ball down the court, it gave the Cosmos more time to set up on defense. Without those fast break points, the Indians only added 10 points to the board in the second quarter while allowing Ross 11.

The Indians got their second wind during a half-time break and hit the floor with a renewed spark in the third quarter. The team was trying out McGayhey in a new defensive position during the game, at the point instead of under the net, and it was working well.

Coach Miedema explained, “She can cause chaos at the top and she works well with Stacey Clark,” a mainstay of the Indian’s defense and a strong presence on the court. At one point in the third quarter Clark stripped the ball from a Ross player and in the struggle fell to the court. But as she fell to the ground she flicked the ball up-court into McGayhey’s possession for an easy layup.

The Indians kept the pressure on and scored 16 points in the third quarter while only allowing the Cosmos 4, bringing the score to 41-20, Indians.

With a very strong lead as the clock counted down, Coach Miedema explained, “We really called the dogs off at the end of the game.” This reprieve allowed Ross to get a foothold and the Cosmos scored 15 points by the final buzzer.

But not before McGayhey reached her career-high 30 points, despite sitting out much of the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Needham scored an impressive 9 points, including 5 free throws. Megan Mundy and Stephanie Vecchio both put up 6, and Kristie Moschetta and Alexis Gibbs put up 2 each. The final score was 55-35, Indians.

“I think athletically we were a stronger team,” Coach Miedema said. But as the season goes on, Coach Miedema said, “Our overall stamina is crucial for us to be successful defensively.” The team has always had to rely on their conditioning because of their small numbers; it will be just one of the many aspects of the game the girls will hone during practices over the winter break.

The girls will compete in a benefit tournament, Coaches vs. Cancer Holiday tournament, on December 28 at 12:45 p.m. If the girls make it to the championship game, they’ll play at 12:45 p.m. on December 29; if not, they’ll play in the consolation game at 11 a.m.

JUNIOR VARSITY WINS ANOTHER ONE

With just six girls on the court, the JV Indians had their work cut out for them against the larger Ross squad. But the girls didn’t disappoint in their second win of the season. “They all played very well, I was happy with the effort from the kids” said JV Coach Brian Doelger.

The Indians applied defensive pressure right off the bat and kept Ross scoreless in the first and then the third quarters. “Just like in the varsity game, they tried to press us from the start and we flew right by it.”

Every girl got on the score board, with Melissa Ames, Breanna Hallman and Saverina Chicka leading the team with 12, 10 and 9 points, respectively.

Perhaps the game’s most valiant effort came from Ames, who was the victim of a flagrant foul during the middle of the third quarter and hurt her knee. But after some ice and a knee wrap she returned to the game and ended up leading the team in points. “She epitomized the day for us,” Coach Doelger said.

Though the girls played a strong game there are still areas for improvement. “We missed a lot of layups and we didn’t execute perfectly,” Coach Doelger said. “We were up by 8 at the half but we should have been up more.” Nonetheless, the Indians took home a resounding win, 36-10.

Their next game is on January 5 at 4:30 p.m. at home against Stony Brook.