Junior girls learning on the fly
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Step one, learn the plays.
Step two, execute the plays.
The Tillsonburg Glendale HS Gemini junior girls are still on the first step after the first week of TVRA South East junior girls basketball. Dorchester won Tuesday’s season opener at the Glendale Community Gym, 42-14. Thursday, the Gemini juniors were at Woodstock CI.
“Not a lot of practice time before the first game,” said Gemini coach Laura Underhill. “However, they did a good job picking up on plays, and giving it their all despite not a lot of time to prepare.”
The Gemini juniors have quite a few new players, said Underhill, with an even split of Grade 9 and 10s, most playing their first TVRA game.
“A lot of us haven’t played before, so it was their first time,” said second-year junior Keirsten Sanderson, noting there may have been some ‘jitters’ on the court.
Returning from last year’s squad are three post players – Sanderson, Callie Palen, and Kaylee Smith – and guard Cheyenne Nevado.
“And I think that’s it,” smiled Sanderson.
The greatest challenge Tuesday, she said, was defensive side of the ball – they played man-to-man all four quarters – because it’s technical. She anticipated that taking a few games to polish up.
“Probably a couple more games – and a lot of practices.”
Ashlyn Kernaghan, a guard, impressed Underhill in the opener, as did the post players.
Dorchester took an 18-0 first-quarter lead. A Kaylee Smith basket with four minutes left in the eight-minute second quarter put the Gemini on the scoreboard. The visitors led 24-4 at half, and outscored Glendale 10-4 in the third.
The fourth quarter, with three Gemini baskets, including a pair by point guard Nevado, was evenly played.
“If we had another week, it would have been great,” said Underhill. “About another week and I think we’ll all be at the same place.”
Gemini scorers: Kaylee Smith 6, Cheyenne Nevado 4, Ashley Vandergunst 2, Keirsten Sanderson 2, Rebecca Moore 1