Girls Basketball Rebounds with Hot Start
Cori Vaughn ‘23 is averaging 11.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and leading the team in assists. Photo: Continental Studios
By LUKE WALSH, DIANA ANISHCHANKA, ELLIOTT PIERCE, and TAEVION CUSH
Coming off a disappointing season last year with just two wins, the Girls Varsity Basketball squad started their 2022-2023 campaign strong with a 4-3 record. Fresh off a hard fought five point loss against James Madison High School on December 19, followed by a statement 38-34 win against Lafayette Ed. Complex two days later, hopes are high that this season will be a triumphant one.
“We have a solid team,” said starting sophomore Cassidy Yung. “We’re hoping to go far in the playoffs, maybe even win the championship.” Expectations are high amongst the group as there is a lot of confidence in the team’s ability to play within their strengths while looking to improve upon their weaknesses.
“We’re just playing as a team, moving the ball around, getting everyone involved,” said Yung. “Everyone is scoring, so that's all that matters.” Team chemistry is a point of emphasis this year. Up and down the roster, players understand it takes total commitment to have a successful season.
“They are together, they have created a sisterhood of sorts, and that's kind of a motto that I'm trying to encourage,” Coach Michael Moore said. “Teams who stay together play well together.”
The Lady Hornets blasted out the gate with blowout wins against Fort Hamilton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Leon M. Goldstein. The winning streak ended with a loss to Lincoln, who are in first place in the division, followed by a frustrating 52-47 loss to Madison. The team won a thriller against Lafayette but lost another nail-biter in the next game to New Utrecht.
“We had a strong start,” said leading scorer Guo Chen ‘23. “But we gotta keep our heads up and keep playing our best for the rest of the season.”
At 4-3, an above .500 start is a great improvement for the team, as last year’s unit finished 2-16. The team hasn’t had a winning record since 2019.
During the offseason, the girls moved into a new division which would allow the team to be more competitive. While being demoted a division may sting, it looks like it was the correct call, as the team has played in mostly competitive and close games all season.
Offensively, the Lady Hornets are scoring 13 more points per game than last season, and on the defensive end they are allowing 24 less points per game. Last year the team gave up 450 more points than they scored. This season they have scored 84 more points than they have given up.
“Everyone’s been putting in a lot of work,” said Emily Impoco ‘24. “This year we’ve been stronger offensively but also good communicators.”
Twelfth year head coach Michael Moore deserves a lot of credit for this turnaround in team success, with one important factor being that he only needs to focus on Varsity, as last season he was coaching both Varsity and JV.
Sustaining this early season success can be only done through hard work and dedication. “We usually practice anywhere from five to six days a week,” said Impoco. “We handle it well, honestly. Everyone's looking for more opportunities to improve, and practice is a good time to do so.”
“The team is awesome,” said Chen. “The energy is great, and we put our best into practice.”
As Mr. Moore said, “In order to know where you're going, you have to know where you are coming from.”
Senior point guard Cori Vaughn agreed, adding that the team “practices what we preach.” Vaughn has been a major part of the Hornets’ success so far. As a returning player averaging 11.5 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds while leading the team in assists, she’s made a huge impact on her teammates and the winning culture they’ve worked to establish early on.
The Lady Hornets gather in a huddle before tip-off.
While seeing some positive results out of the gate, the team isn’t without their set of struggles. “There’s obviously some great teams that we haven’t played yet,” senior guard Guo Chen said. “We still have to push ourselves and play our best every single game.”
Mr. Moore wants them to keep studying the mental aspect of basketball as well, “to become students of the game.”
With a new arsenal of young players at his disposal, including sophomores Dimitra Tsirias, Maria Tsirias, and Yung, who are already starting, there’s a lot of opportunity for that sort of growth. Considering these players have two more seasons to get better, the team looks set to continue making improvements in future seasons.
Although Chen is a senior, it is her first season on the team as well. Still, she has stepped up to help her teammates become better basketball players and people. “I enjoy this role,” said Chen. “I like teaching the younger generation how to move around in life and on the court.”
With the season only halfway over, the Lady Hornets will have a chance to get back at the teams that bested them. Against Madison and New Utrecht, the team had a chance to seize victory with under a minute to go and just barely fell short. But with the camaraderie this team has, they will surely bounce back.
“We care for each other, we treat each other like family,” said Chen. “The environment is just awesome.”