Girls’ Basketball 2-1 In Tournament
The girls’ varsity basketball team entered the annual Holiday Tournament with a 3-2 record, looking to win at least two out of their three games. They played Hotchkiss, Chase and the toughest of the three teams, Peddie, which has “tremendous D1 talent,” according to senior Courtney Henrich.
In the first two games of the tournament, the team beat Hotchkiss 46-39 and Chase 58-45. “The first and second games we had were against teams that we beat pretty easily, and it was a team effort to get there” senior Casey Osborne said. “Every girl played, which was awesome.” Despite the very good performances in the first two games, the team knew that their third and final game against Peddie would be a tough task.
Exeter came out firing against Peddie, but fell just short 58-62 in a heartbreaking loss. Henrich made six three pointers, allowing for the team to hang around with Peddie, but in the end, they were not able to come out with a victory. According to Henrich, the Big Red “played their best game of the season. We executed our 2-3 zone well by communicating and making rotations quickly.”
Lower Maya Blake and seniors Mel Allen and Erika Steeves were defensive anchors for the team. According to lower Bella Edo, “Erika Steeves, Henrich and Peace Kabari were the top scorers.”
However, Osborne said that something that the team could work on is “aggressive, in your face defense and also making sure we work well together on offense, which just comes with time as you get to know your teammates and how they play.”
The Big Red girls’ basketball team left the tournament feeling satisfied with how they played. “The weekend gave us two solid wins and a superb four point loss to the best team we’ve seen all year. On top of that, it provided the team bonding we were lacking and that in itself is worth it,” said Henrich.
When they returned from break, Exeter defeated Taft in a thriller. The team pulled out a 62-59 win in overtime. Next, the Big Red took on a very good BB&N team, and the results were not what anybody had desired. Exeter fell 60-79 in a tough game.
“We have had great success with this team in the past few years and from what they’ve had in the past, I think our size could give them some matchup problems."
Exeter plays divisional foe Deerfield Academy on Saturday at 4:00. “We have had great success with this team in the past few years and from what they’ve had in the past, I think our size could give them some matchup problems. They are a well-coached team and it's our job to take care of business Saturday!” said Henrich. With a win Saturday, the team would improve to 7-4.