The WA Girls’ Basketball team clinched a 56-24 victory against Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS) on Friday, Jan. 31, making their overall season record 11-3 and their DCL season record 7-0.
The team’s chemistry on the court was evident through their solid passes and defense, allowing them to maintain a wide lead ahead of Cambridge throughout all four quarters.
Starting the game off on a strong note, junior Kaitlyn Pepin scored the first two points of the quarter, a lead which WA increased with effective offensive plays that kept the ball on Cambridge’s side.
“I think we came [into] the game with great energy [which] helped us get a good lead in the beginning, and then we held that out great [lead] to the end,” senior captain Diya Jayaraman said.
Cambridge also made many fouls during the first quarter, enabling WA to score extra points from sophomore Alexa Coward’s free throws, setting their lead to 5-0. However, Cambridge pushed back on that lead, picking up on their offense and scoring a three pointer that put the score at 5-3.
Despite Cambridge’s offense, senior captains Faith Williams, Erin Keefe, and Jayaraman contributing significantly to WA’s lead with swift two point shots and two three-pointers, finishing the quarter 19-7.
WA’s great energy translated into an impressive second quarter, where the team continued their effortless passes, assisting junior Olivia Pillsbury in scoring the first three points of the quarter. Pepin was a crucial player throughout the quarter, making several key baskets that ended the the first half 29-11 with WA in the lead.
During the third quarter, WA made multiple fouls, providing Cambridge with more opportunities for extra points as they lined up for several free throws. However, these free throws did not make up for their disorganized passes, which resulted in CRLS continuing to lag behind WA’s.
“I think we have good team chemistry on and off the court which helps a lot,” Pillsbury said. “We’re making good passses and all the right decisions.”
Assisted by junior Hannah Lupien, Coward, and Williams, Pepin and Keefe made several more baskets. Though Cambridge amped up their offense near the end of the third quarter, WA held steadfast with their defense, in large part due to junior Maddie Smith, finishing the quarter 39-17 still in the lead.
“I think that we definitely were shooting well and that just comes with confidence. We’ve been working a lot at practice, so I think we’ve just become really confident on offense and on defense,” Keefe said.
The fourth quarter began slower than the previous three. While WA maintained their lead, the score remained 41-17 in the beginning. It was only near the halfway point of the quarter that WA picked up the pace again, with Pepin, Pillsbury, and junior Brooke Nielsen scoring two points each. Cambridge was able to raise their score only slightly after scoring a few three pointers, leaving WA in the lead 50-23.
During the last few minutes of the game, WA rotated in new players, which worked well after junior Saanvi Jha scored two three-pointers in a row. WA ended the game in victory 56-24 againstCRLS.
“I thought we played pretty well all around,” head coach Russell Coward said. “The seniors have been doing a good job of being leaders. I think the team has really bought into the fact that we all push each other, we all play as well as we can at all times and we cheer for each other. It’s nice to see.”
The WA Girls’ Basketball team’s next game will be a senior night game on Friday, Feb. 7 at WA against Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.
