A u-turn for HSMSE girls’ basketball

HSMSE Girls Basketball Team / M. Galeano

The High School for Math Science & Engineering girls’ basketball team went 7-9 in the 2013-14 season, a huge improvement from their 0-18 season last year. The rise was due to the addition of freshman Annabelle Shultz, as well as the excellent play from senior shooting guard Donna Fintzi. 

Shultz, the rookie point guard, scored 15 points per game, taking pressure off of Fintzi who has been the team’s scoring leader since her sophomore year. 

“We would always try to get the ball to Donna,” Shultz said. “[She] would hit three pointers and I would always crash the boards and try to get foul shots up.” 

The new head coach Jeremy Bassie helped the team on and off the court. Bassie successfully coached the Girls Jr. Varsity team at Bronx Science from 2007-12. His past experience as a coach helped the girls turn their season around.

“He was a really good coach,” Shultz said. “He knew what to do and was very confident in what he did. He would always make us laugh and make us have a good time playing."

Next year, without senior co-captains Fintzi and Mikaela Bloch, who combined for more than 20 points per game, others will have to score. Despite their trouble, the Dragons are determined to try and improve their record for next season. 

Annabelle Shultz / Din Islam

It’s going to be a learning process for most of the team and me also, but everyone is going to have to step up,” Shultz said.

The Dragons will have to look towards freshman next year to help fill the vacancies left by the seniors. The team relied on the seniors for a large portion of their scoring but now they will have to change their game to make up for the disadvantage.

Saying goodbye to their departing captains, the Dragons will continue to work towards making the playoffs. It will be a rebuilding process, but this season was definitely a triumph for the girls’ basketball team.

By: Willy Herman and Henry Schoenfeld