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AAU Nationals Division II |
14 Red finished 1-5 at the Division 2 Nationals in lovely Hampton, Virginia. With a little better shooting, the record could have been better. We did not bring our shot down South with us. The first game of the tournament was versus the Chester County Wizards (PA). We got off to a very slow start and trailed 30-16 at the half. The second half saw us play better but we lost by the score of 57-41; Kristen Van Gilst (Lewis Mills HS) led us with 7 points. Olivia Sutherland (Lyman Hall HS), Ashley Petrarca (Taft School) and Rachel Franzluebbers (East Catholic HS) each added 6 points for the team.
The second game in pool play pitted us versus the Potomac Valley Classics. We once again got off to a sluggish start and trailed 21-13 at the half. The second half was exciting as we started to chip away, but ended up losing 42-30. Kayleigh Shaughnessy (Fermi HS) and Kristen Van Gilst each had 6 points for the Starters. Our last game in pool play saw us play the South Carolina Crush. We did not have any firepower in this game either. We did lead 19-18 at the half, but played a poor second half and the Crush made 9-10 free throws and defeated us 40-29. Cassidy Caravella (Suffield Academy) and Rachel Franzluebbers each had 6 points.
With the loss, we had the "privilege" to play the Maryland Storm in our first game in the Championship bracket. They defeated us 60-22 as they were a very good team, which ultimately ended up winning the entire tournament. Olivia Sutherland had 7 points as Maryland played a "box and one" on her in the first half. We were consistent in that we scored 11 points in both halves Gabby DeSisto (Hamden HS) was a perfect 2-2 from the free throw line.
At 0-4 we then had to play the Crossville Thunder from Tennessee, with the loser facing elimination. They also were staying at the same hotel as us. Maybe they could have put a court at the hotel and played there! Once again we got off to a poor start as we trailed 22-10 at the half The team was down to one half of basketball left in their season. Then a spark came as we went on a 18-5 run to take the lead in the second half. The game was tied at 35 with just seconds left. Kayleigh Shaughnessy was fouled on a rebound and would have two shots with 5.7 seconds left. She missed the first free throw and the Thunder called timeout. She swished the second one. We had to watch a last second shot go in and out to hold on and win the game 36-35. Cassidy Caravella scored a game-high 10 points. Claire Laing (Rocky Hill HS) had 6 points and scored a basket while fouled to spark us. Brie McClelland (Mercy HS) also added 6 and was a perfect 2-2 from the line. Chelsea Foster (Avon HS) scored 6 on two 3's It was a great win for the girls and assured us that we would not go winless in Virginia.
With the win, we would face the Baltimore Cougars on Saturday morning. We had big plans for Friday night. We had a beautiful dress up dinner at Al Frescos (note: the Lobster Ravioli was delicious.) All who attended had a great time and the girls looked very nice. After dinner, all headed back to the hotel for a meeting. The game vs. the Cougars followed a familiar pattern, as we had great difficulty scoring. We trailed 22-16 before Cassidy Caravella hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 22-19 at the break. The second half saw us fall short as we ended up losing 41-33. With the loss, the 14 Red team finished with an overall record of 20-17 for the year. Cassidy Caravella scored 9 points to lead us, while Kristen Van Gilst and Brie McClelland each added 5.
14 Red Notes- A special thank you from Coach C to the players, parents and assistant coaches. The last 4 months have been enjoyable. We might not have had as much success as we would have liked ,but the time spent with you was very special to me. The friendships I made with parents and the progress the players made is what I will remember the most. Best of luck to you next basketball season and enjoy the rest of your summer. Give me a shout if you need anything. I am always willing to help. Take care, Coach C.
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