The Old Rochester Regional High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team remains undefeated in the South Coast Conference thanks to Senior Captain Katie Wilbur and her team-leading 25-point performance against Apponequet Regional High School on Friday, January 18. The Lady Bulldogs defeated the Lakers with a final score of 33–28.
“Tonight, Katie saved our bacon with her scoring. There’s no doubt about that,” said ORR Head Coach Bob Hohne. “She’s one of the senior captains and she definitely brings leadership to the team.”
The Lady Bulldogs got off to a slow start in the first quarter, as they only put up nine points. Seven of those points came from Wilbur. The team struggled with travels and offensive fouls. Senior Guard Hannah Bouvette drew three fouls in the first quarter and was taken out of the game as a result. At the end of the first, ORR led by a narrow margin of 9–5.
“I think their aggressiveness disturbed the flow of our offense,” said Hohne. “They were very physical.”
ORR settled down in the second quarter and started shooting from the perimeter. Wilbur netted two three-point shots. The defense also stepped up, as freshman Gabbie Reuter provided a key block in Lakers territory.
Despite starting the quarter off on a better foot, the Lakers outscored ORR 13–8 in the second quarter. A 3-point play from Jade Rodrigues gave the Lakers some momentum on their offense. At the half, the Lakers led 18–17.
In the third quarter, both teams had shifts in momentum. Apponequet extended their lead to 23–20, but an offensive run, two free throws and a three-pointer from Wilbur regained a 26–23 lead for ORR at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the momentum shifts remained the same. Intensity and aggressiveness picked up as Bouvette fouled out for ORR and Katherine Simonsen did as well for the Lakers.
With less than a minute to go, Wilbur had a clutch steal ultimately leading her to be followed. After making her free throw, ORR was able to put up two more points for a little insurance, giving them the 33–28 win. While the game might not have been the prettiest of the season, Hohne was still pleased with the victory.
“I thought we could have played better defense and that we didn’t contain enough,” he said. “But I think our success starts with our two senior captains, Katie and Abby (Offringa). They get us into our offense. You also have the two big girls (Haley Dickerson and Reuter) that work well with the two guards.”
Overall, the Lady Bulldogs are sporting a 9–1 record. They remain undefeated in the South Coast Conference.
By Katy Fitzpatrick
