by Jacob Mapp ’24
Temperatures have dropped, snow has fallen, and the Kingswood Oxford winter sports season is fully underway.
As we near the midway point of the season, the girls varsity basketball team is wielding a 4-7 record. Before winter break, the Wyverns finished second place in the KITs with sophomore forward Georgia Louis and sophomore guard Olivia Stevens being named to the All-KIT Team.
After returning from winter break, the Wyverns lost back-to-back home games against Wilbraham Monson Academy with a score of 49-38 and Hamden Hall Country Day School with a score of 58-41. Assistant Coach Judy Bailey said that the winter break took out many of their players due to different circumstances. “We are not making excuses, but we were down five of our 11 players for various reasons after winter break, so it was challenging to play with limited numbers,” Coach Bailey said. “Certainly, we gained something by playing those games because we were able to get back on the court and play five v. five, which we hadn’t been able to do in practice.” The team was able to rebound with a win against Miss Porter’s School on Wednesday, Jan. 19.
Head Coach Quinn O’Brien discussed the importance of not focusing on stats but instead focusing on the team first and foremost. “We try not to focus too much on individual stats, and we don’t spend time discussing them with the team,” Coach O’Brien said, “as we know our best chances for success are playing a team-centered game.” However, he highlighted the guards and forwards, including senior Co-captain and guard Natalia Correa, senior Co-captain and center Lindsay Bailey, senior forward Megan Murphy, Stevens, and sophomore guard Aashni Patel. Other players have contributed greatly off the bench, including Louis.
In practice, the team has put much of their focus into the offense. “We have been spending time in practice getting up lots of shots, practicing our fast break, running our offensive sets and working on our defense,” Coach Bailey said. “What we do in practice prepares us to play our best in the games and we do see this translate in our gameplay.”
Chemistry plays a pivotal role in every sport, especially basketball. Overall, the Wyverns have excellent chemistry with one another both on and off the court. “The girls on the team all get along really well,” Coach Bailey said. “They enjoy hanging out and having fun together.” Coach Bailey also discussed how the team plays together and how supportive they are of one another. “As a group, they play well together, and the team comes first before any singular individual,” Coach Bailey said. “This does transition to games where they celebrate the good plays of their teammates on both ends of the court.”
With fans back in attendance, the Wyverns are looking forward to their next home game against Pomfret School on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
