1/16/25 Highlight: Girls’ JV Basketball
By LYDIA KUHNERT and CAROL LEE
On Jan. 12, the JV girls’ basketball team played against Exeter High School in their third match this season. Both teams performed well, and after a close game, Big Red took the win with a score of 39-34.
“The game started out a little rough, and they definitely got ahead in the beginning when we were doing a man defense, but we then adapted to a zone defense,” said prep Ava Kruschnitt. “Towards the end of the game, we were really more dominant and able to stop most of their shots.”
Upper Elizabeth Flynn highlighted prep Ellina Kim as the team’s MVP for the Saturday game. “She scored five points within ten seconds. She scored a 3-pointer, then proceeded to steal the ball again for a lay-up, and I had an assist with that. Ellina scored 21 points out of 39, which is crazy.”
JV basketball coach Samantha Fahey agreed, highlighting Kim’s flexibility and hard work. “More than just her 21 points, she and I had a lot of conversations on the bench, and she made a lot of those coaching changes. We had a couple of really good eye contacts during the game because she was aware of the changes she’d made. She was really coachable.”
Additionally, the JV girls’ basketball team members and coach reflected on the season so far. Prep Berrak Karapinar described the team’s development since the start of the season. “I think we’ve been able to build a great relationship with everyone. We really like supporting one another and being positive, especially when someone’s successful in something.”
“There have been some ups and downs, but I think we’ve gotten better, as we got to know each other. The season’s just getting better and better.” Karapinar added.
“While people may not think JV girls’ basketball is the most serious team, we are very serious about our sport, and we work hard and focus, trying to win all our games,” Flynn shared. “The JV basketball team means everything to me. I’ve played on it for three years, and I actively chose to try out for JV this year because I knew I wanted to be on this team. I love being a leader now that I’m one of the older people on the team.”
“Coaching JV Basketball is something I look forward to every year,” Coach Fahey added. “The team brings great passion and fun to every practice. We also do a lot of winning, which is always fun!”
The team’s next game is this Saturday at Deerfield Academy. Don’t miss the chance to support Big Red as they continue to showcase their hard work and team spirit on the court.
