CB West Girls Ready for Action

Two years ago, the Central Bucks West girls basketball team failed to win a single game. Last year, they began to turn it around, and ended with a 6-16 record.

This season, second-year head coach Terry Rakowsky hopes the girls can build on last year's improvement and continue the positive direction.

The Bucks are a young team, with seven new players this year, but Rakowsky hopes the five returning varsity players can help lead the team. Two players he will rely heavily on are senior Fiona Gilmore and junior Jen Fabian.

"The returning girls are leaders to the younger girls; we form a foundation and have to build off of that," Gilmore said.

At 5-foot-9, Gilmore is versatile, playing either guard or forward. She was third on the team in assists last season and can help make the players around her better.

Fabian, meanwhile, earned second team all-division honors last season, and has a bit of a different style.

The 5-foot-11 Fabian, a junior, was the team's leading scorer and rebounder last season, an attribute Rakowsky wants her to pass along to the rest of the team. Last year, they averaged 30.8 rebounds a game, and he hopes that number will rise.

"We want to use that to our advantage. Our defense will also help keep us in games," said junior Amanda Parker, who was second last year in rebounds.

Rebounding is a big part of practices, which are full of fundamentals as well as work on specifically designed plays. Rakowsky and his assistant coaches mix in a healthy dose of running drills and free-throw shooting, too.

"They like the drills, because they get bored if they are just standing around," Rakowsky said.

"There is a lot to work on but we are getting better every day," he added.

The Bucks' first game is Tuesday, Dec. 14, when they head to Lower Bucks to take on the Neshaminy Redskins.

CB West Girls Basketball 2010 Lineup

10 Fiona Gilmore G 5'9''

15 Alexis Haug G 5'5''

3 Kathrynn Peluso G 5'7''

20 Samantha Colloi G 5'6''

22 Jen Fabian F 5'11''

11 Amanda Parker F 5'11'

23 Kathrynn Bahner F 6'1''

21 Calypso Carty G/F 5'9''

5 Juliet Dillin G 5'4''

35 Maggie Gratz F 5'11''

30 Caitlynn Mautz G/F 5'8''

33 Kate McLaughlin G/F 5'9''

4 Daniella Nestory G 5'4''

44 Taylor Moylan F 5'9''