By JOHN DELAND
Special to The Westfield News
WESTFIELD – The Westfield 5th and 6th grade girls’ Suburban basketball team had to overcome more than their fair share of obstacles this basketball season.
As for most youth sports teams, the first was Covid. The ongoing pandemic forced the cancellation of the suburban league’s season and left teams that still wanted to play in search of another league. Fortunately for these teams, the Springfield South End Community Center and The Court basketball program stepped up, formed a new league, and provided the means for 50 area teams to compete all winter long.
The next stumbling block the team encountered was not being able to practice indoors as Westfield school gyms were not accessible due to Covid. But that did not stop the girls as they endured temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s while practicing on various outside courts. Then the snow came, making practicing impossible. That forced the girls to rely on what they learned from game-to-game to make improvements and adjustments.
But they did that too.
After a couple early season losses and a 2-2 start to the year, the girls won nine out of their last 10 games while defeating teams they had lost to the first time around, including an improbable one-point overtime victory against an area AAU team, the Breakers, comprised of players from multiple towns.
Then after a narrow two-point win in the semi-finals, the girls advanced to the championship game on Sat., April 3 at the main court at the Springfield SECC versus the same Breakers team that they had caught off guard several weeks prior.
This time the Breakers came out ready and their tenacious half-court press created yet another major obstacle for the Westfield team, an 11-3 deficit as halftime approached.
But just like all the previous obstacles presented to them, this resilient bunch would not let this one stand in their way.
Westfield starting point guard Emily Bulan (five points) commanded a second half charge by skillfully navigating the Breaker’s press and aggressively pushing the ball up the court. This allowed Westfield’s own full court press anchored by defensive standouts Olivia Morrissey, Caprina French, and Audrey Amaral (two points) to create multiple turnovers and hold the Breakers to just four total second half points.
Meanwhile Bulan’s up-tempo game led to several Westfield scoring opportunities that enabled the team to claw their way back to within six points of the Breakers. Then with just over four minutes remaining Jaylianie Santiago (two points) grabbed a rebound and made the put-back to cut the deficit to 15-11. Then after a soft touch fade-away by Kendall O’Brien (five points) got Westfield to within two, Lily-Anne Clark (six points and the game’s leading scorer) made an acrobatic layup while being fouled and converted the free throw to give the Westfield girls their first lead of the game at 16-15 with 2:30 remaining.
Even though the margin was only one point, you could see a surge of confidence on the Westfield girl’s faces, as if for the first time all season they had cleared all remaining obstacles. Westfield’s defensive pressure turned several more steals into layup chances over the last two-plus minutes that resulted in several Westfield trips to the foul line, and when Bulan’s final free throw swished through the net and the final horn sounded, the girls had indeed overcome one last obstacle this season with a 20-15 come-from-behind championship victory.
Other notables in the game include Madelyn Santaniello and Reyse Burke, who provided critical ball handling help, and Nyah Sarabaez and Andee Lavner chipping in with key defensive minutes that helped Westfield stay in their full court press even with the starters getting some rest.
This marks the fourth title in four years for the Westfield girl’s suburban program whose now 9th graders have won the past three league championships.
NOTES: Westfield girl’s 4th through 8th grade summer Suburban teams are forming now. Please email John Deland at [email protected] if you have a daughter in Westfield who is interested in playing competitive basketball. …DeLand runs the Westfield Girls Suburban basketball program and is currently the head coach of the Westfield Girls’ 5/6th grade team.
The Westfield Grade 5/6 Girls’ Suburban basketball team is comprised of: (back row, standing) Assistant Coach Mark French, Nyah Sarabaez, Jaylianie Santiago, Kendall O’Brien, Reyse Burke, Lily-Anne Clark, Olivia Morrissey, Head Coach John DeLand; and (front row, kneeling) Audrey Amaral, Madelyn Santaniello, Caprina French, Andee Lavner, and Emily Bulan. (WESTFIELD GRADE 5/6 GIRLS’ SUBURBAN BASKETBALL TEAM PHOTO)
