Isabel Hetherington
Sports Editor
With the loss of key player Sarah Mannelly, class of 2012, the girls’ basketball team faced a challenge entering the 2013 season. According to senior captain Georgia Hunsinger, “Going into the season I think it’s safe to say none of us had high expectations. We had just lost a valuable player (Sarah Mannelly) and we didn’t doubt our abilities, but weren’t extremely confident that we’d be as much of a competitor in the FCIAC as we had been in the previous years.”
With tough shoes to fill as the new point guard, Elizabeth Miller proved herself worthy of the position. “I think Elizabeth Miller, our point guard who took Sarah’s spot, was a stand out to me because she had very large shoes to fill and I think she did a very good job,” senior Brianna McEwan said. “Although it was inevitable that she would always be compared to Sarah, she didn’t let that stop her and I think she had a great season.”
This year, the girls’ team had strength in its long experience of playing together. “The hardest part was just mentally getting over the fact that Sarah wasn’t going to be there to carry the team, but then again, seniors Kelly [Armstrong], Georgia [Hunsinger], Courtney [Rogers] and I had been playing together since sixth grade, so we knew we would be comfortable together which helped ease our minds about the season,” Brianna said.
Though the team didn’t perform to the caliber they had in the past, with an overall season record of 7-13, the performances of individuals on the team stood out this season. “I believe we each individually stepped up this season, and as a result we were able to come together as a team and play hard, well and efficiently,” Georgia said. “Because of this, we did perform well in almost every game we played. Despite the score, we worked harder this season than any other year.”
One big victory for the team was the 47- 43 win against St. Joe’s. According to Brianna, “Our St. Joe’s win was a big one because it gave us confidence that we could compete with good teams. I think our team did perform well overall and I think we even surprised ourselves at times.”
