The buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the game. The scoreboard reads 31-24. Warriors win! The crowd erupts into applause on the Warriors home court. After trailing at halftime, the girls varsity basketball team made a strong comeback in the third quarter, leading to a remarkable second-half victory in their game against the Wellesley Raiders on Dec. 19.
It was a season-defining moment that encapsulated the girls varsity basketball team’s transformation from last year’s struggles to this season’s newfound confidence and unity. From a record of 1-19 last year, the Warriors are now 5-8 and on track to make the MIAA state tournament.
One of the turning points for the team came during the December break when they captured the championship in the Legends Classic Tournament with a 2-0 record. Junior and captain Ivy Wheeler said they worked hard to prepare for the tournament by reviewing film and working on defense.
“One of our focuses for the tournament was to utilize our speed as a team and get up and down the court really fast,” Wheeler said. “That really helped us during those two games. For our defense, we worked really hard to get steals against the teams, and that helped us move the ball quicker.”
In order to perform better in games, head coach Kendell Jones watches film of the teams they play against. His goal is to find patterns that can help them win.
“I identify the team’s strengths and weaknesses and try to expose those. Depending on a defensive plan, that can help us out,” Jones said.
The team, determined to improve from last year, is currently ranked 21st in the state. Junior and captain Nefeli Aga-Kitch said the wins positively impacted the team’s confidence.
“The momentum we’ve had is really good. Losing a lot can take a mental toll, so having those wins brings up morale for the next game,” Aga-Kitch said.
According to Jones, the team’s collaboration is motivating.
“We had a game against Weymouth, where I believe everybody scored,” Jones said. “That’s a great feeling as a coach to know that everybody had a chance to put the ball into a basket.”
One key factor in their newfound success is the additional time the team has spent practicing together. Wheeler said the increase in time on the court has allowed the team to gel and gain experience playing with one another.
“Last year, we were a really young team. This year, we’ve had more time to play with each other, especially in open gym over the summer,” Wheeler said. “During the fall, we did club together, which was really helpful.”
Aga-Kitch said that the team’s hard work has allowed for improvement.
“We’ve lost more games than we’ve won, but the wins are more than last year,” Aga-Kitch said. “Our dynamic at practice has been working hard and pushing back against setbacks in the games, and I think that’s worked for us.”
While the team has improved significantly from last year, they still face some challenges on the court. However, they are determined to work past these obstacles. Jones said the team has played through adversity this season. He also said there are some potential areas of growth.
“One thing that really killed us a lot is turnovers. I think we have to continue to keep playing, learning the game and increasing our basketball IQ,” Jones said. “That is going to help us out in basketball games.”
Aga-Kitch said that the team was able to bounce back from an early season setback.
“We lost our first two games, so we’re making sure that pattern from last year doesn’t happen again,” Aga-Kitch said. “We acknowledged what went wrong, watched film and analyzed what we should change for the next games.”
As the season progresses, the team hopes to rack up more wins, make the playoffs and perform well once they’re in the state tournament. Jones said he is optimistic about their momentum.
“We’ve been having some success,” Jones said. “I think we are starting to catch our groove as a unit, and we’re just continuing to work hard every day in practice.”