Panthers May Not Have Wins, But They've Got Heart

If there’s one thing to be said about the Babylon girls basketball squad, it’s that they play with a lot of heart, which is a coach’s euphemism for a team that is struggling to win. 

And that happens to be the case as the girl’s varsity team  lost 52-39 to a well-coached Southampton squad last Thursday at home.  It was their second straight loss since playing without both of their captains, who have been out on injury.

Yet Coach Chris Ryan remains confident. 

“This team can win.  They are playing hard and aggressive, which is why we got ourselves into foul trouble early in the game.”

There is definitely something to be said about a team that plays with heart.  It means the athletes are doing a lot of things right.  It means despite the score, they are still working together as a team; it means their attitude is positive; it means they are playing aggressive, and most importantly, it means they are playing to win. 

This is all certainly true of the Panthers and it's making them an exciting team to watch as Thursday night’s game was a battle.  The players are not afraid to fight hard for a loose ball, or to square up toe-to-toe with a shooter to try and block a shot.  As a result, Southampton held no more than a two-point lead for a majority of the game. The score at the half was 24-22.

However, aggressive defense and a struggling offense, caught up with Babylon in the third period.

Babylon managed to sink only two points the entire quarter, but a persistently tough defense was helping thwart many of Southampton’s shooters, including  Cassidy Guida, who has been deadly in the past with constant three-point attempts. 

The Panthers' fierce defensive play put two key teammates, Mackenzie Vickers and Emily Funk, in danger of fouling out and initiated the turning point of the game.

Funk, a point guard, was benched for the entire second half of the third period, and Southampton managed to pull away with a significant lead for the first time in the game.  At the end of the third period, Southampton was up 33-24.

Mackenzie Vickers took on much of the offensive work for the Panthers, with a game-high 19 points, and Molly Gravina added an additional nine points.  After that, Babylon was struggling to find baskets.  Emily Funk had four points on the night, Lauren Kaible, two points and Dottie Barker, two points.

While his team lost, Coach Chris Ryan wasn't disappointed with his team. 

“We are still without our captains, and Southhampton’s coach does a good job working with his girls on defense.  But I am very pleased with the way the team is playing overall.”

Southampton’s head coach Rich Wingfield attributes his own team’s three-game winning streak to defense as well, saying, “The only constant in a game is defense.  You can play that every night.  Offense comes and goes at this level.”  He added, “Babylon is a great team and well-coached.  They are also a very different team with their captains.”

If Babylon continues to play tough, they are going to pick up some more wins.  They are now 2-3 in the league and meet up with McGann-Mercy for a
scrimmage at home on January 27^th at 5 p.m.