LYNN — Lynn Classical’s girls basketball team started its season 0-2, but since then, the Lady Rams (5-3) have won five of six games. Head coach Tom Sawyer has liked what he’s seen from his team, but knows there’s room to grow.
“I think we’re pretty much right where I thought we would be. I thought the GBL (Greater Boston League) would be very competitive this year and that’s what we found,” he said. “In our three losses, every one of them has been a close game and that’s what I expected from the league this year. I’m really happy with the team and the girls and their desire to get better, to work on their games, and to give a high effort level game in and game out. They just want to keep improving on their execution.”
Through eight games, one thing that has stood out to Sawyer is his team’s willingness to learn.
“This group is very coachable; this group wants to take instruction and do the best they can with it on the floor,” he said. “I really enjoy watching them grow as basketball players and as teammates.”
Since the opener against Revere, Sawyer said the team has improved offensively, but there’s room for improvement.
“Offensively, I think we’re better. We’re still not as good as I want to be at valuing the basketball and limiting our turnovers and making good decisions with the basketball,” said Sawyer, whose team has scored more than 60 points three times. “Defensively, the effort has been really high in focus and focusing on the defensive end of the floor.”
One player who’s been playing well — whether scoring or rebounding — has been Divine Egbuta.
“Divine continues to, most importantly, be very coachable,” Sawyer said. “She has a very high work rate and she gets after it. When the ball is up, her mentality is that the basketball is her rebound — whether it’s on offense or defense.”
In addition to Egbuta, Sawyer spoke highly of other players.
“Our two captains, Deleisha Perez-Vazquez and Jada Tejada, we look at for leadership, ball-handling and shot-making. Yarilenny Ruiz and Jayliana Wesley also are in the rotation. Yari plays good interior defense for us and Jayliana is a very good on-the-ball defender, as well as someone who can drive the ball to the basket really well,” Sawyer said. “We just got Evelyn Diaz back and she’s just a good all-around basketball player. She can play inside or outside. She can defend on the perimeter or the interior.”
In addition to upperclassmen, the Lady Rams have gotten help from the youngsters, too.
“We have two sophomores who are playing very well for us and playing significant minutes. Mia Duncan has a very high basketball IQ and very good outside shot, while being one of my best defenders in terms of taking the defensive assignment, whatever that may be, and executing it very well,” Sawyer said. “The other sophomore is Aliyah Alvarado, who has really worked on her game and stepped up this year — primarily with her outside shot and being able to drive the ball to the basket.”
