Blake Girls’ Basketball finds itself in an unfamiliar position this year, tested by youth and inexperience. Despite having four returning juniors from last year, the demographic is overall young with five freshmen, several of whom will be playing their first season at the varsity level.
The program is relatively small this year with the team only being able to play 6-7 girls. Despite the numbers, the team has found early success. Led by junior captains Sara Gregor ‘19, Robbie Grace ‘19, and Morgan Phillips ‘19, the team is “one of the best offensively we’ve had in years,” according to Gregor. Not only has the offense been more productive, but it is also more balanced than previous years with more players contributing. With that being said, there are still areas to improve. Without a lot of players, fatigue has made defense the largest area of concern this year.
Sara Gregor ’19 and Cate Moe ’21 make a pass against Breck.
As the team develops, the players are becoming more comfortable with the level of play as well as the competition. As Gregor describes, “We’re still trying to become better in close games… we are dealing with pressure now better than before.” Despite that, the program managed to pull out several impressive wins and even finished a nine-game road streak at 4-5 before the start of the new year. With growing experience, lessons learned, and success felt, the team looks towards the future. With five freshman as well as a good middle school program, Blake Girls’ Basketball expects only improvements within the next few years.
The season is just starting to hit its full stride with several important games awaiting the squad. The real goal, however, is a Section Game win which would be the first for the program in around 20 years. With an abundance of talent, and determination, it wouldn’t be surprising if this young team accomplished just that.
