Last season, the John Jay Women’s Basketball team was determined to win a
section championship.  They worked very hard during the season to earn the number one ranking in Class A going into the postseason.  They made it all the way to the Westchester County Center but unfortunately, they fell short to rival Harrison in the sectional semifinals.

This season, they are eager to return back to the County Center and win
a section championship.  With hard work during the offseason, they were ready to take on their difficult schedule, playing many teams in Double A.  

The season didn’t start the way the Indians hoped for. They lost their
first five games with only one win against Edgemont. Kelly Nolan, a junior on the team, has been playing since her freshman year. She admitted to me that this is the “toughest schedule” she has ever played. Nolan continued, saying that the team “had a tough opener against Tappan Zee, where unfortunately we couldn’t pull out a win.”

Lauren Munoz, Nolan’s fellow teammate, had similar feelings about the season.  As a sophomore, this is Munoz’s first year playing for the varsity team and she is just as eager to win a section championship.  She described the season as “a roller coaster,” since they started off with a tough record of 1-6. But, she assured me that the team is beginning to find their rhythm again: “this year we had so much pressure…we were so focused on not losing that it built up [excess nerves], making us successful.”

In order to turn the season around, Nolan feels there are a few things
that need to be tweaked offensively and defensively. On offense, she says “we just got to get the ball in the basket, it’s that simple. We get great looks and shots, now all we need is for the shot to go in.” On the opposite end of the court, she feels the team has a very strong core defensive unit, but they need to limit the amount of fouls they get.  

Munoz, on the other hand, tells me she has a few personal techniques she’d like to work on. In order to benefit the team, Munoz explains that she needs to improve her dribbling up and down the court, and more importantly needs to work on finding her man in transition.  All the while, Munoz expresses how critical it is for her to maintain focus throughout the game.

With the execution of these changes, both offensively and defensively, the Indians are back on track to winning a section championship.  Due to their hard work, JJ Women’s Ball turned their season around; they won their last five games, currently at 6-5-0. The girls recently had huge wins against Arlington, Somers, and Greeley. With the team’s five-game winning streak, their dream of returning to the County Center to take the title of “Section Champs” is alive and well.