Q&A: How to Keep A Winning Streak Alive

In one of their toughest tests of the year Friday night, the  girls basketball team scored a win over second-place North Smithfield High School, allowing them to remain undefeated with a 16-0 record.

This season's winning streak is a huge turnaround from their nearly winless 2009-2010 season. With six games left this season, tonight they play Davies Career and Technical School in Lincoln.

Patch caught up with the Islander captains Lauren Paiva and Kirsten Perry Friday to talk a little about this season's winning formula and how they hope to keep the momentum going.

Patch:  Your team remains undefeated at 16-0. Do you think about going undefeated on the year? And if so, what comes to mind?

Kirsten Perry: That we want to keep it that way.

Lauren Paiva: Being undefeated means that every game is a big game, not just the big games we know about on the schedule.  It being the second time around seeing all these teams, they know we're the team to beat and we have to come out expecting that.

KP:  It's about momentum, we want to keep that going game after game.

Patch:  The biggest and most obvious noticeable thing is your record from last year to this, going almost winless on the year last year to being undefeated so far this year. You have several players back from last year. What is the biggest reason for the huge swing in your win total?

KP: I think that because we've played a lot together now, most of us playing for two years together now, we're just more into it.  

LP:  I think we all became friends over the years and that makes a huge difference. Last year there were several new players, and we've played two seasons together now so we're definitely a lot tighter now.

KP: Yeah, we definitely pull for each other.

Patch:  As captains, you two are very balanced. Lauren, you are definitely louder on the court and Kirsten, you bring an equally calm demeanor that perfectly complements Lauren. That balance is obvious on the court and on the bench. Do the two of you talk to each other about how to communicate with the team, or does it just kind of develop on it's own during the game?

LP:  I don't think we talk as much to each other on the court as we do to the team.  I think it's because we've know each other for so long that we don't have to.

KP:  We definitely talk a lot more off the court than on.  We're really close friends (Lauren and I).

Patch: How long have you two known each other?

KP:  (To Lauren) Since middle school?

LP:  Yeah, sixth grade.

Patch:  Do you think that knowing each other so well on and off the court gives you an advantage over other teams that may not necessarily have that relationship?

KP:  Definitely. I think we both just always want to do better.  We're both really competitive and I think that helps.  

LP:  Definitely.

We asked Head Coach Mike Wyates if he thinks about going undefeated, or discusses it with his staff or his players.

He said, "We want to go undefeated, no question, but we take it one game at a time. Another big game on Monday, so we'll see."