Girls' Varsity Basketball Recap

By: Suri Dong ‘28
The Westminster Girls Varsity Basketball team embodied the core values of grit and grace, putting in great effort on and off the court. Each member would show up early, compete fiercely, and run hard. The team has outstanding character, diligence, and an intense commitment to work and become the best teammates. The girls played a total of 23 games against Founder's League opponents and other top prep schools, primarily in NEPSAC Class A or B. The girls also played a holiday tournament at the beginning of winter break. Coach Owens served as head coach for the first year, joined by assistant Coach Bailey. The girls had a wonderful season. 
The girls started with a challenging game against Greenwich Country Day School. Although the score was a bit tough, the team finished the game with 24 points. Fifth Form Captain, Kaitlyn Buda ‘27, helped the team get out of the gates in the opening quarter by scoring seven points and battling hard on the boards. However, GCDS had strong ball movement and found open looks for their shots in their half-court offense. In the second quarter, Westminster adjusted its defense and picked up the intensity. After some good looks at the basket, Chloe Donovan ‘29 scored her first points in a Martlet uniform by nailing a free throw, followed by fellow freshman Charlotte Evanko ‘29, who cashed in a deep three ball towards the end of the half. Westminster continued to pick up its energy in the second half, with Delia Lockwood ‘26 collecting 12 rebounds. On December 19th, the girls' team went to the Ethel Walker Holiday Tournament. Although they faced some tough losses, they embodied the school's core values of grit and grace, fighting hard until the last buzzer each game. 
After coming back from the Winter term break, the girls were well prepared and ready for the season. They won their first game of the season against the Hotchkiss School on January 21. After traveling on the road for the last four games, the girls were excited to get back to their home court and compete against Hotchkiss. From the start, the girls played with energy and intensity, setting the tone on defense and looking to capitalize on transition offense. Gianna Monaco ‘27 and Buda ‘27 had excellent offensive looks, while Sixth Form Captain, Parker Perillo ‘26, and Lockwood ‘26 led the charge on defense. Evanko ‘29 had several electric shot blocks throughout the contest. In the third quarter, Melody El-Amin Stewart ‘27, Sophie McKenna ‘27, and Donovan ‘29 all had wonderful runs. The Bearcats reclaimed a 2-point lead heading into the final frame, but the girls held their composure and leaned on their teammates’ energy in the final minutes. At the end, with 34 Martlets and 29 Bearcats, Monaco ‘27 scored seven of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Buda ‘27 scored five of her 10. Together, the team won its first game of the season.
On January 24, the Martlets earned a 48-42 win against Hopkins. Evanko ‘29 helped settle Westminster with an open 3-point shot and strong defensive zone. Both Monaco ‘27 and Buda ‘27 scored 9 points in the first half, but the Martlets entered halftime trailing by one. In the fourth quarter, the Martlets had five different players scoring to take the lead, with a 3-pointer from McKenna ‘27, a strong finish by Lockwood ‘26, and Perillo ‘26’s first points of the game, sending the game to overtime. With Buda ‘27 scoring the first points of overtime, and with the strong Martlet defense, Hopkins only had one point in the four minutes of overtime. 
The third win was against Frederick Gunn School on February 13th, with a score of 36-22. Coming out of the winter long weekend, the Martlets were ready and opened with one of their best quarters of the season. Evanko ‘29, Perillo ‘26, and Donovan ‘29 helped open up a lead, each hitting a 3-pointer. The game ended with six points from Buda ‘27 and another 3-pointer from Perillo ‘26. The girls had a wonderful season with their new Head Coach, Owens, and Assistant Coach Bailey, and are looking forward to the next season and are ready to compete.