Blue Devil Girls’ Basketball Looks Ahead
March 2, 2023
The Huntington varsity girls’ basketball team has its eye on the future and coaches believe it’s a bright one. The Blue Devils won seven games this winter and missed the playoffs, but with only one senior on the roster, the program feels good times are just around the corner.
The 14 player team was coached by Mike Kaplan and Marissa Bergmann. Injuries that kept five players off the court for an extended period of time and a one-year experimental league alignment combined to undermine the Blue Devils, who lost leads in many games.
Huntington was led by senior Gianna Forte (7.7 points and five assists per game); junior Kayleigh Bender (six points and 10 rebounds); sophomore Lauren Donaghy (14.7 points) and eighth grader Ava McDonald (9.4 points and five assists).
“Gianna was a great defensive player, causing opponents to turn the ball over,” Kaplan said. “She also attacked the basket well and caused the other team to be in foul trouble.”
Donaghy enjoyed a breakout year offensively. “Lauren was a great offensive presence for us,” Kaplan said. “She is a great 3-point shooter as well as an outstanding foul shooter. She was a great captain and leader.”
Bender was a regular in the starting lineup. “Kayleigh was a powerhouse on the boards,” Kaplan said. “She grabbed every rebound and helped us in transition.”
McDonald scored a season high 24 points against Commack and was in double figures five times. “Ava did an outstanding job of starting for us,” Kaplan said. “She did a great job bringing the ball up the court, attacking the basket, setting up her teammates and moving the ball.”
A late season 49-38 win over Smithtown West was the highlight of the year. “We played our best basketball,” Kaplan said. “The girls did a great job moving the ball as a unit and being patient on offense. We also did a great job rebounding and transitioning the ball up the court. The girls got the lead and never gave it up.”
The close losses frustrated the Blue Devils, who lost two games by a single point and a third by two-points. The team lost six games by six points or less.
“We were in many close games as well as overtime games this year and that experience will only help us in the future,” Kaplan said.
Huntington strived to stay positive in the face of injuries and losses. “This was a wonderful team to coach,” Kaplan said. “They worked hard and came to practice every day excited to improve. These girls came together to help each other get better every day. We had a young team that got great experience this year. This experience is going to help them for next year.”
While Huntington is saying goodbye to Forte, the Blue Devils will be returning Bender, Donaghy and McDonald along with freshmen Ruby Baliber, Grace Gordon, Isabella Palacios and Jolie Weinschreider; sophomores Sophie Carlson, Jenna Italiano, Allison Ntambwe and Kaylee Smalling; and juniors Zaida Correal and Reese Rinaldi.
“We have a great future ahead of us,” Kaplan said. “We have 13 players returning. They gained an enormous amount of experience this year and we are excited to work with them in the off-season to help them improve their skills and knowledge about the game. They are a hardworking group of athletes that I know will be successful in the years to come.”
