Shelter Island girls vanquish Ross School 49-8
The girls varsity basketball team entered Friday night’s game against Ross with a 1-1 league and 3-3 overall record. Prior to the game, third-year varsity coach Peter Miedema said that he felt that his team “had not hit their stride yet, especially defensively.” He touted the efforts of Megan Mundy and said that “she is aggressive defensively, a tone setter for the team, and a much improved player.” As a result, Megan received All-Tournament honors in the Coaches-vs-Cancer Tournament last month.
As important as Kelsey is, a lot of the team’s chemistry comes from senior Kelsey McGayhey. Kelsey, who last year was the leading scorer at the girls varsity level for all of Long Island. She led the way again on Friday, leading to Lady Indians to a 49-8 victory and a 2-1 league standing and overall record of 4-3.
During the first six games of this season, Kelsey has scored 20 or more points in every game but one. After a spirited pep rally on Friday afternoon, it didn’t take long for Kelsey to hit her stride as soon as play began. She scored 22 of the team’s 28 first-half points. She scored off the fast break, off numerous offensive rebounds and off low post moves. She also was hitting her 15-to-17-foot jump shots in the foul line area.
The Lady Indians scored the first 10 points of the game, holding Ross scoreless over the first 4 minutes. Both Melissa Ames and Haley Willumsen combined for 6 additional first-half points. The entire team played excellent team defense, forcing Ross into numerous turnovers. At halftime, the team enjoyed a comfortable 28-11 lead.
Ross, like most opponents in the league, attempted to disrupt the Indian offense by playing “special” defensive schemes aimed at limiting Kelsey’s scoring opportunities. The coaching staff and Kelsey have done an excellent job recognizing and adapting to those strategies. Ross’s “box-and-one” defense did little to deter Kelsey on Friday.
During the second half, the Lady Indians continued to outscore Ross (26-6). Kelsey’s role during changed as she look for teammates and provided them with additional scoring chances. She also spent some time on the bench and her teammates responded well. They scored 20 of the 26 second-half points.
Savarina Chicka scored all 8 of her points during the last two quarters of the game. Morgan McCarthy, Haley Willumsen, Connie Mahoney, Breanna Hallman and Megan Mundy combined for the other 12 points in the second half. Once again, Melissa Ames collected several key assists and Alexis Gibbs grabbed some big rebounds.
Kelsey had a game and season high 28 points and collected a minimum of 15 rebounds. It was a solid team win that could set the tone for the remainder of the season. The team’s goal is to win the league championship and to advance into the regionals as a Class D school.
