SALEM — Despite not being able to practice for four days because of the snow, KIPP’s girls basketball team didn’t miss a beat en route to a 33-9 victory against the Witches Wednesday.
Although the Panthers started slow offensively, their defense was on it from tip-off. KIPP didn’t allow a single point in the first quarter and conceded just three in the first half.
“I think the girls did well, but I think they can do better. We haven’t had practice in four days with the snowstorm. It was a bit rocky in the beginning, but it’s been a long time since we played, so I understand the slow start,” said KIPP coach Jacob Roman. “We didn’t want to go all out with our press tonight because we have another game tomorrow and a few injuries. I was nervous about how we’d play tonight since we haven’t played in a while, but the girls did really well.”
Leading the press defense were guards Bijou Puati (9 points) and Kelly Sholola (2), who consistently recorded steals that led to transition baskets.
Roman spoke about KIPP’s players trusting one another.
“Our varsity players are good and the majority of them are juniors, too,” Roman said. “Our juniors are starting to come together and are building that chemistry and being strong. They’re trusting each other and that’s the biggest thing. We had that at the beginning of the season, but kind of lost it for a bit. I think they’re starting to get it again.”
Hailey Herrera led the Panthers with 14 points. She was making shots from all over the court — beyond the arc, from the mid-range, or beneath the basket.
In the fourth quarter, Herrera drained a 3-pointer. Then, as the Witches were inbounding, Herrera stole the pass and laid the ball up to give KIPP a commanding 31-7 cushion.
KIPP improved its record to 7-6. Roman is enjoying what he’s seeing from his team and the improvement it’s made across the last year.
“I think the season has been great compared to last season. Last year was the first year we took over the program. Our athletic director (Anthony Grimaldi) wanted us to take over and just build a culture here,” Roman said. “Last year, we weren’t necessarily focused on the game, rather, we knew we needed to be mostly focused on building the culture. Now, we’ve built that. We have a JV (junior varsity) team that’s practicing today. They didn’t want to come to the game; they wanted to practice and get better. That’s how you know the program is changing.”
KIPP is back in action Thursday when it travels to face Pioneer Charter School of Science at 4:15 p.m. Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
