Boasting a nearly perfect record of 23-1, the girls’ basketball team is at the top of the BCSL standings. Dominating their competition, the girls have taken every opportunity to improve as a team in their push to get the sectional title.
The girls began with a hot start to the season with 10 wins in a row before incurring their only loss for the season against Cherry Hill West.
Head Coach Bret Jenkins said he noticed the team’s improvement early this season after the girls finished with a 22-8 record last season.
“It’s been a great start. We are currently 10-0, but most importantly, I feel like we’ve been improving since the beginning of the year, which is definitely the main goal of the regular season,” Jenkins said.
With the graduation of four key seniors last year, several players had to step up this season. Returning varsity starters Shiloh Moore and Norah Quinn have been in pursuit of achieving 1,000 points before graduating. Moore currently has 69 more points to score 1,000 career total points, while Quinn became the 9th Cinnaminson female to reach 1,000 career points when she scored 17 points at Wednesday’s senior night game.
In order to achieve their main goal this year, they must keep up with the pressure from teams like Hammonton and Haddon Township.
“Me and Norah are looking for our thousand points, but the main goal with the team’s hard work is to win the sectional championship,” Moore said.
As the team continues its season with playoffs coming up, the pressure is on to maintain its amazing record. With help from the whole team, they will continue to go far in the season while improving individually.
“The season is just going to get tougher, and not to be cliche, but the whole team has contributed to the season,” Jenkins said. “We have had three freshmen come off the bench playing a lot of the time, and it has been great for us.”
Junior Mia Pacetti acknowledges the team’s progress and teamwork.
“Our coach says at practice, ‘We mean business.’ Every day is a new day for us to keep working harder. And as a team, we always want to win, so each practice we work hard so we can keep our record,” Pacetti said.
The dynamic between this team is strong as they have made many core memories, including ones through fashion with their new rip-off pants.
“My favorite memory so far this season was getting our rip-off pants. The seniors made the plan to get them, and everyone was on board. We love getting to rip them off before every game. It’s so fun for us, and I think that it’s part of what has made this season so enjoyable and memorable,” Pacetti said.
The girls are currently undefeated in the division with the help of their two starters, Gabby Harvey and Mia Sztenderowicz, who have been critical in this season’s success, helping the team reach the second seed in the playoffs.
With playoffs approaching, the Lady Pirates will continue their hard work to reach their end goal and improve on their outstanding 23-1 record. Their next game is away on Saturday against rival Haddon Heights at 11:30 am.
