Shelter Island junior girls basketball team wrap their season: Junior High season begins

The JV girls basketball final game took place on Tuesday, Feb. 4 against the Center Moriches Red Devils. 

The referee for the game was obviously a former player. It wasn’t just her height and bearing, it was the fact that she nonchalantly dribbled the ball while waiting. It’s great to see older athletes passing on the love of the game.

The day before National Girls and Women in Sports Day, it reminded me of all the reasons it’s so important for girls to have access to teams, skill development, confidence-building and personal growth that comes with participation in athletics.

The Islanders team is young. Seven of the nine members are 9th-graders. As Coach Erin Baskin reflected on their growth over the season, she was able to highlight many things. With such a steep learning curve, she asked them to constantly push past their comfort zone. “I’m proud that kids stepped up into new roles,” the coach said. “At first, they did it reluctantly, then willingly. They stayed positive when they were down and celebrated the little wins.”

Kylie Kuhr Leonard was a great example of this growth in confidence. “She begged to go in today which is a complete reversal from earlier in the season,” Coach Baskin said.

Indeed, lots of personal goals were met and exceeded throughout the season.

The Red Devils were physical. After winning the tip-off, captain Keili Osorio Lopez’s no-holds-barred style of play quickly got her into foul trouble. Teammates stepped up to take up the slack, with Makayla Cronin starting off the scoring for the Islanders with a beautiful 3-pointer in the first. Lily Potter set a perfect screen that allowed Lexi Bartilucci to charge up the paint for a layup. “That screen was as good as an assist,” insisted teacher and scoring table regular Jimbo Theinert.

During the Center Moriches game, every player had at least one rebound, with Bartilucci leading with six and Osorio Lopez with five. Maeve Springer, Dariana Duran Alverado, Kylie Kuhr Leonard and Danielle Rasmussen contributed four apiece.

Natalie Mamisashvili epitomized the unselfish and supportive nature of the team. Mamisashvili really stepped up at point guard, allowing others to be freed up for more shooting.

Following their final game, the players were asked to reflect on their favorite memory or highlight of the season. Some were proud of their ability to increase their scoring: a three-point buzzer beater; contributing points in multiple games; or scoring their first points at the high school level. Others reflected on team development as a whole: getting to bond with the team or watching the team increase their skills during the season.

Coach Baskin echoed their observations, adding that she’s excited for the future. She encouraged the girls to continue to work out during the off-season, on both fitness and skills. “These girls are great, and continued to learn throughout the season,” Coach Baskin said. “They weren’t afraid to ask questions and try something new.”

With a nice core of 8th-grade athletes just beginning their own basketball season, the future is bright for basketball at Shelter Island School.

JUNIOR HIGH SEASON BEGINS

Just as Coach Baskin was bidding farewell to her high school athletes, she was also welcoming the junior high grade basketball team.

The team actually is composed only of 8th-graders. Three are returning, while five are new to the sport, but eagerly learning each day. Aisley Davidson, Michelle Martinez, and Elizabeth Weslek played last year, and are on-court coaches as well as the ones who handle the ball most often.

Ella Fundora, Regina Kolmogorova-Weisenberg, Eliza McCarthy and Emily Shepherd are quickly picking up the game. Most of this group played volleyball together, gaining confidence in their athleticism.

Their first home game was against Southold on Friday, Feb. 7. With McCarthy still accumulating practices to qualify to play, just six players were available and everyone got lots of playing time. With such a small squad, Coach Baskin wants everyone to do everything. Specializing too early can lead to lack of flexibility so Shelter Island is focusing on developing well-rounded athletes.

Shepherd and Kolmogorova-Weisenberg are new to the court this year, but they both show a knack for rebounding. Shepherd led the team with eight while Kolmogorova-Weisenberg pulled down six. This ability to allow for second-chance shots (or to limit the opponents to do so) will pay big dividends for the team.

Martinez is a quiet but effective player. She blocked two shots during the game and is court-savvy, quickly releasing to get to a teammate who is being swarmed by defense. Likewise, Fundora is quickly picking up the nuances of the game. She’s calm, and when crowded by a Southold defender, she made a great move to bounce-pass the ball to a teammate so the play could continue.

Davidson showed her experience in some nice defensive and passing situations. Young players often aren’t sure what to do with the ball when they get it and the defense can quickly move in to force a jump ball. Davidson initiated a great passing combination as she grabbed the ball and instantly sent it to Shepherd who quickly passed it to Weslek to outpace the Settlers and restart the offense.

The team is working on setting up specific plays to maximize their scoring potential. Weslek comes from a basketball-savvy family — both parents and older brothers play and she’s an energetic athlete. The most likely to be on the floor with an all-out effort, she also is currently the team’s main point guard and scored 6 points against the Settlers.

Shepherd added four for the Islanders, allowing the team to meet their goal of scoring more points in each game. With their confidence increasing daily, it will be fun to watch the team’s growth.

The team has a 10-game schedule. They have played two and will add two more before the winter break.