After making it to the South Jersey Group II finals and finishing the season with a record of 28-5 last year, the girls’ basketball team is picking up right where they left off.
With the graduation of four seniors at the end of last year, the younger girls have had to step up in order to continue accomplishing what the team had in previous years. Returning varsity starters, junior Ava Sztenderowicz and sophomore Norah Quinn, currently lead the team with 217 and 164 points respectively.
Sztenderowicz said one of the team’s goals this season is to claim the divisional title. However, according to Sztenderowicz, this could be challenging due to the competitiveness of the other schools.
“I guess the first goal is always to win the division and that’s going to be really challenging this year with other teams that have literally been recruiting people, so I guess that makes it a little harder,” Sztenderowicz said. “Also just coming from a school like Cinnaminson going against schools that recruit girls but definitely making it far in playoffs, I mean making it far in the SJIBT is always a good goal to have and we can play more games.”
Despite recent losses against WesTech and Bishop Eustace, the Lady Pirates remain hopeful and continue to make strides toward a playoff run.
Girls’ basketball coach Bret Jenkins acknowledges some of the challenges the team has had to overcome in order to achieve the same success as they did last year.
“With us being a younger team with only one senior on the team, our major goal was to make sure we are continuing to improve throughout this season and I think some challenges were experienced,” Jenkins said. “We only had three returners that received substantial varsity minutes last year, and I think that was one of the challenges coming in.”
Currently 14-5, the team has come to rely on its underclassmen as this year’s team only has one senior, Emma Pfieffer. Pfieffer is a three-year varsity player as well as a team captain. As the sole senior on the team, Pfieffer said she feels the pressure as an upperclassman and the responsibility of leading the team.
“It is stressful, but it gives me a big responsibility, and I am the only senior, but there are other captains and we all work together,” Pfeiffer said.
After the team’s top scorer, Brooke Sztenderowicz, graduated last season, her sister Ava moved into a captain’s role this season, stepping into her older sister’s shoes. Ava reflects on how different it is playing sports without her sister.
“I guess soccer season was when I realized it was very different not having someone to go and talk to on water breaks and just like making jokes with,” Sztenderowicz said. “Just sports-wise, especially basketball, there’s only five people on the court so it’s very different cause I feel like you always have someone that has your back, but now it’s kind of different.”
According to Coach Jenkins, the program’s past success has led to an increase in numbers and interest, both of which contribute to the team’s overall level of talent.
“We actually had 32 people come out for the team, and I think it’s a combination of the success of the program over the last few years and I think a lot of people seem to be interested in it and wanted to come out,” Jenkins said.
While the team dynamic has shifted since last season, Pfeiffer said the camaraderie among the girls has helped contribute to the team’s success.
“We are really close, we did lose four amazing seniors,” Pfeiffer said. “But we still have that same amazing dynamic and we all work together and we think we can be better than what we were before.”
With about a month left of regular-season play, the Lady Pirates will look to continue to improve their record. Their next game is home today against Holy Cross at 5:30 p.m.
