Building a team of young players without loads of experience at the varsity level can be a challenge. Head Coach Kim Domen is going through this process with a group of girls on the Cardinal Huskies varsity basketball team.
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Building a team of young players without loads of experience at the varsity level can be a challenge. Head Coach Kim Domen is going through this process with a group of girls on the Cardinal Huskies varsity basketball team.
The adventure began last season, as most of the team consisted of freshman players, and still keeps things interesting both positively and negatively at times.
As the Huskies tangled with a winless Hawken Hawks team Jan. 29 in Huskies Gymnasium, the Hawks took a 15-6 lead after one period, and their chances of falling short seemed imminent. A stern lecture from Coach Domen got the ship righted in time, however, as Cardinal improved to 8-10 overall on the season with a 41-32 victory in non-conference action behind the strength of a big defensive effort in the second half.
That early Hawken lead was forged on the strength of a 3-point barrage from freshman guard Sasha Miller, who nailed a pair of long shots in the first period and another early in the second quarter. Hawken (0-17) pushed its way to a 18-10 lead late in the second period.
During a quick timeout, Coach Domen made her point very clearly.
“They just came out and kicked us in the teeth,” she said. “There were a couple of girls who I didn’t think were giving their best efforts, and I told them so. I asked them if they liked the idea of being the first team this season to lose to Hawken. I know Hawken has had some great teams in the past, but they are very young this year and are paying the price to play the game, and I asked the girls if they wanted to be the first team to lose to them.
“We’re still a young team, and the girls need to recognize in game situations that they need to work harder at times. They responded well in the second half, and I’m proud of their resilience in doing what they had to do to win this game.”
Defense keyed a second-half effort in which Hawken scored only five points in both the third and fourth periods. The Huskies moved out to stop Miller, who did not score in the second half or even get off similarly good shots.
A solid seven-player rotation consisting of Cardinal sophomores Natalie Soltis, Ivy Kaminski, Emily Pleva, Nova Young, Adelyn Grant and Olivia Krebs and freshman Kalina Kundrat clamped down on the Hawks shooters and tightened a defense that forced 13 second-half turnovers. At this point, the Huskies took control and slowly pulled away for the win.
Finding a regular scorer is important to any team, and Kaminski has developed into a top scoring threat for Cardinal.
“I’ve just grown into knowing what I need to do on the floor,” Kaminski said. “Learning what I can do, and then doing it, is all I’m trying to focus on right now as part of this team. It’s getting better, so I’m just glad to be part of it.”
Kaminski’s efforts at the top of the Cardinal defense led to a pair of third-period steals that she converted to baskets. Her pair of free throws in the first minute of the third period cut a 22-18 deficit to just 22-20, and Young put in a teammate’s missed shot to tie the score at 22-22.
After a Hawken 3-point play regained the lead, Grant nailed a pair of free throws and Young took a pass from Soltis to put a reverse layup into the net with 2:27 left in the quarter, tying it at 27-27.
Grant hit the third of her free throws with 1:56 to play to close the scoring of the period with the Huskies on top, 28-27.
To open the fourth period, Kaminski made a pair of free throws as part of her 15-point night, Pleva nailed a 3-pointer from the corner after taking a pass from Soltis for a 33-27 lead, and it became clear that the Hawks could no longer penetrate the stout Cardinal defense.
Cami Courtad led Hawken with 12 points on the night to go with 11 rebounds, but did not get good shots, either, as the Huskies applied python-like pressure on the ball no matter where it went in the second half.
Miller’s nine points were all she would get, while the Huskies got seven points from Nova Young and Pleva, six from Soltis, three from Grant and two from Olivia Krebs. Krebs and Grant each snared seven rebounds in battling with Courtad in the paint, Young had eight, and the combined effort keyed the continuing growth of this young Cardinal team, winding down the season trying to break even.
