Girls Basketball (2–1) opened the season with three games in one week. Despite the demanding schedule, the season started off strong, opening with a win at Pomfret on Friday, followed by another consecutive win against Kents Hill the next day. They fell in a close game at Worcester Academy (Worcester) on Wednesday, losing by just eight points.
With four freshmen joining this season, the team’s preparation not only focused on the technical aspect, but also on team mentality. Jules Stevenson ’28 elaborated on how the eight underclassmen influence the team’s dynamic.
“For both Pomfret and Kents Hill, we locked in during pre-season in practice and outside of practice. Our team is very young, so even getting to know each other more gave us an upper hand with team chemistry. Every practice, we worked as hard as we would in a game. Learning new plays and defenses forced us to stay mentally ready as well, which we did an amazing job of,” said Stevenson.
According to Emma Moore ’28, the way a team structures its plays can help determine the outcome of a game. In these matches, the team aimed to maintain high defensive energy while executing a new formation that it had designed during practice. Success in this new system allowed the team to display strong teamwork and remain positive throughout each game.
“We were excited. Everyone was in the same headspace, and we were all ready to go out there and work together, not just for ourselves, but for the team as well,” said Moore.
Against Pomfret, the team experienced difficulties in the first half, but recovered quickly. According to Stevenson, the team reconvened during halftime and realized that they needed to make major adjustments.
“The toughest challenge against Pomfret was adjusting to the zone in the first half. We ended up settling for the first shot we could take, but this completely changed in the second half. We began to use our centers to our advantage and attack the rim. From there, we couldn’t be stopped,” said Stevenson.
Basketball is a game of scoring runs and momentum. Moore defined these invigorating moments as the turning point of both games.
“After the first half and the third quarter, we came out strong because we had a lead. It was the point of the game where you can either let the [opposing] team back in to become a closer game or pull away. In both games, we worked hard and were able to pull away. [It] was really cool to see the team come together like that,” said Moore.
The team saw the loss against Worcester as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Sophie Stetson ’29 explained how, despite losing in a tight game, it was a learning moment — something to be aware of rather than look down upon.
“This loss is growth for us and has given us ways to improve. Shots weren’t falling as well as the team wanted today, but they will fall. Our team’s very proud, because over the last two years, the team has lost to Worcester by a significant amount. This year, we brought it back to a four-point game going into the fourth quarter,” said Stetson.
According to Stetson, in the two games before Worcester, the team was able to recognize and tackle the most areas for improvement.
“Because our warm-ups were quiet and dull that translated to the beginning of the game. This caused us to be less hyped up and excited to get out there and work hard. [We want to start] the game with a bang, going all-out all four quarters, not starting slow and then picking up our pace. We need to keep going consistently hard throughout,” said Stetson.
Girls Basketball looks forward to playing Loomis Chaffee on Saturday.
