Pomfret girls’ basketball team
struggles; Taft wins 65-54
POMFRET — The Pomfret School girls’ varsity basketball team struggled in its game Dec. 8 against Taft.
The score was: Taft 65 - Pomfret: 54
Coach Patrick Burke said: “We struggled to get started in today’s game against Taft and our slow start on both ends created a tough hill to climb despite our strong second half. Our first half lacked intensity, focus, and compete level, but our second half performance showed what our team is capable of when we push ourselves to be our best. Credit to Grace Bullied for her strong second quarter performance and Alba Samu for her energetic leadership that gave us some momentum and something to feel good about as we went into half time.
“The third quarter was the best we have put together in this short season. Our defensive efforts were led by Brooke Zahansky. Her intensity and willingness to hustle, cover space, and get her hands on loose balls allowed us to push the tempo and find easy baskets. Tyler Dendy and Mia Fuller got to the foul line consistently, and we chipped away at Taft’s lead. Grace, Lulu Ditenhafer, Alba, and Tyler were strong on the boards, while Victoria Dervisheva and Ari Centeno both got steals and rebounds. The quarter was a solid team effort, and at one point we cut Taft’s lead to 7.
“We played a solid fourth quarter, but some heavy legs and timely shooting by Taft’s # 12 and # 33 allowed Taft to respond to every attempt we made at a run. Grace and Mia frequently responded on offense, but Taft knocked down their free-throws and made some late twos to extend their lead.”
By Patrick Burke

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