Burdened by injuries and the loss of graduated seniors like Sarah Ryan, the girls started off slow with a 1-4 record in their first five games. She accumulated 1,549 points throughout 97 games at Bernards, and in 2015 leaving the team to captains Sarah Whelan and Samantha Mottes. Mottes currently leads the team in assists with 51 and steals with 31 this season. Whelan, who is second in points per game with 7.2 and third in total points this season with 108, has consistently proven to be an asset to the team. Although the statistics prove how skilled these players are, they do not have to do it all by themselves. Caroline Baratta, who was out with an injury in the first five games, and Maddie Fairhurst also play a key role in the team’s success. Since the return of Caroline, the team has a record of 8-3, which does not appear to be just a coincidence, considering she has put up 124 points, 20 assists, and 25 steals since her return. Although missing the first 5 games, she still is second on the team in all of those categories this season. She currently leads the team in points per game with 12.4.
Another key part of the girl’s basketball team is center Maddie Fairhurst. She leads the team in points with 192 and in rebounds with 106. With the season only a little more than half over, Maddie is already only 9 points shy of her total points from last season of 201. Although 9-7 does not seem like the best record, it does not reflect their success throughout the season. They are 7-0 in their conference, defeating all teams in it. Other teams they have played include Vorhees with a solid 13-2 record and Hanover Park with a 13-3 record. The girls on this team are a group of composed and skilled players, proved by their amazing comeback on February 2nd against Belvidere. Down by 18 points at the start of the second half, the girls kept their composure and put their skills to work to come all the way back and win by four, 49-45. In this game Baratta had five three point shots in the game and ended up totaling 23 points. Maddie Fairhurst also played a substantial role in the win with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
