Coach, chemistry, and desire make the recipe for victory — ingredients that the South girls’ basketball team has sorely lacket in its previous two seasons.##M:[more]##
But this year, the South team has turned the corner and exploded onto the court. With a 6-5 record thus far, they already have more wins than in the past two years combined.
Now, the sheer enthusiasm and energy of the Pirates on the practice court is almost frightening. In a series of timed, competitive drills the players press hard amidst shrieks and shouts.
“This is a good team of overachievers,” says their new head coach Lisa Guarneri. “They have the tools and they like each other — on and off the court. I am fortunate to have stepped into such a good situation.”
But that is not at all the way her players see it. Senior point guard Kristina Shemming is rounding out her fourth season on the team and credits this year’s stunning performance boost to coach Guarneri.
“She completely pulls us together as a team,” says Shemming. “She gets us up for every game, and makes the most of our talent. We’re primarily a defensive team and we need the energy she’s given us.” Lady Knights’ captain Shemming is a fast-moving, all-around top player, exhibiting a substantial amount of team leadership herself.
Starting sophomore guard Amanda Terebey, a scrappy, hard-pressing defensive player, agrees with Shemming. “Coach Guarneri has taken us back to basics,” she says. “She’s united us as a team and given us energy.”
Certainly, Guarneri holds shining credentials for team leadership. A native of Piscataway, Guarneri, and her two younger varsity sisters led their high school team to the girls’ state basketball championship in 1999. She continued playing guard for the University of Illinois, from which she graduated in 2002 with a bachelors in human nutrition, food, and exercise. Guarneri then earned her masters in health promotion from Virginia Technical University. In 2004, she returned to her home town alma mater, coaching Piscataway to a county championship.
Additionally Schemming, Terebey, and injury-sidelined senior Mariel Suarer are quick to cite the strong contributions of assistant coach Erin DeVaney. In 2000 DeVaney was one of the top players taking an underdog Ewing to the state championship victory. Today, for South, she provides sharp insight on specific opponent strategies.
But whatever the reason, there is a whole new spirit on the floor this season that has made South a fierce fighting, unified opponent. Co-captain Kara Lewin, who like Shemming has played for the Pirates all four years, notes that her team holds a whole new chemistry.
“We feel good about each other; we like each other, and we all seem to be on the same page out there,” she says. This cohesion is particularly vital for Lewin, who is an unusually high scorer for a guard and depends greatly on ball feed.
Coach Guarneri states that this chemistry is a prime factor for girl athletes. “With boys it is not such a big deal with whom they play. But for girls, they really have to like each other to pass the ball around. Personalities are very important,” she says.
Building this team chemistry has proved particularly beneficial to such a young team. With only two playing seniors, the mantle has fallen on the newcomers, and sophomore forward Becky Peters has taken it up with a powerful, on-court aggression on both defense and offensive play. In the January 17 overtime victory over Steinert, Peters hit a free throw with 3.7 seconds remaining. After missing the second free throw, Peters grabbed her own rebound and made a shot to send the game into overtime.
Additionally a whole new crop of varsity freshmen have fed the starting lineup. Forward Lisa Huttner’s quick shooting and good basketball I.Q. have earned this freshman the nickname “little coach” from her fellows. Tory Sharpless stands as a tough, unflappable post at the center position. And strongly vocal Stephanie Dansa has shown solid ball handling and shooting accuracy.
“I don’t see these girls in class,” says coach Guarneri, “but on the court, they are markedly smart. Our strength is that we have a team of smart players.” Guarneri, after the day’s coaching is done, returns to Piscataway, where she works for her father’s recruitment firm, Calvary Consulting. The company specializes in IT staffing and as an intriguing hint at its integrity, claims Jesus Christ as its CEO.
Bristling with a new confidence, the WWP-South players met at a special goals session. “This year, we are going to make the states,” they all agreed. To achieve this will take a 9-9 record at season’s end. It will be quite a leap from last year. But there’s no doubting this team has all the ingredients for victory.
