The Cinnaminson girls basketball team is off to their best start in over 10 years. With a record of 21-3, the girls are taking every opportunity to get stronger game-by-game and grow as a team. 

After losing in the second round of playoffs last year to Sterling, the Lady Pirates have made a recognizable comeback by kicking off their season with a victory against Trenton Catholic, with a final score of 54-47.

Head coach Mr. Brett Jenkins has noticed a major improvement on the court, particularly on defense.

“We share the ball a lot, we never care who’s the leading score, and definitely our intensity on how hard we play on defense,” Jenkins said. 

As the top seed in the Liberty BCSL Division, the team has overcome challenges and set new goals. Senior captain Rhochele Johnson has high hopes for the remainder of the season.

“We want to win sectionals really badly, it would be the first one for girls’ basketball here in Cinnaminson,” Johnson said. “So to do that would be a really big accomplishment, that’s all I really want.”

After a close win against Lenape last Saturday with a final score of 43-40, the Lady Pirates secured their spot in advancing to the final four of the South Jersey Invitational basketball tournament.

Senior captain Katie Ambos reflects on the competitiveness of the game. 

“It’s a really great accomplishment for us because we’ve never been here before so it’s a really big win for us,” Ambos said.

Among the team’s numerous wins, senior captain Brooke Sztenderowicz made her 100th three-pointer in the game against Delran on January 5, coming off the assist fromsophomore Ava Sztenderowicz. 

“Just seeing the entire stands being packed and just that feeling that gave me the chills,”  Sztenderowicz said. “I feel like everybody was just so excited and it was just a very happy moment.” 

Another major accomplishment for the team was when Mr. Brett Jenkins reached 200 wins as a coach. He attributes this success to the girls’ hard work and dedication for the sport. 

“It was neat to see the girls excited and all the signs they made,” Jenkins said. “It made me think of all the girls who came to the program and played.”

Despite their loss to Westampton Tech with a final score of 52-45, the Pirates are still optimistic for their upcoming games and look forward to keep improving each week. Senior captain Katie Ambos said she tries to find new strategies to improve as a role model for the team.

 “I just basically try to keep the team up, and when we’re not doing so good, we kinda just like to pick each other up,” Ambos said. 

As the sectional championship is approaching, the basketball team is focused and prepared to face more challenging games. Coach Jenkins is positive about the remainder of the season.

“The first goal is to try to win our division, and then next we would want to get the highest seed as possible for [the] playoffs,” Jenkins said. “We get a bunch of home playoff games.”

The Pirates will play at Cherokee for the semifinal round of the South Jersey Invitational tournament tonight at 8:30 p.m.