Can Cambridge girls basketball find growth under first-year coach?
CAMBRIDGE — It took the new-look and new-leader Cambridge girls basketball team three games to find its offensive footing and secure its first victory.
It's just one win, but given it took until the end of January for that to happen a season ago, the Bobcats are already off on better footing.
The Bobcats are on their third coach in their last four years as rookie boss Logan McCort takes over this winter. It's been since the 2017-18 team reached the regional semifinals and won 19 games that the program has finished with a winning record.
That may not change this season, but one thing McCort loves about the makeup of his team is its effort and commitment as he moves over from being the boys junior varsity coach the last two seasons.
“I've wanted to be head coach for a couple of years and I knew this would be a good opportunity and a challenge I'd like to take on,” McCort said. “It's been more fun than I expected.
“Their enthusiasm is contagious. They listen well and are willing to learn and that's awesome too experience—how hard they work and hungry they are for knowledge.”
Lady Bobcats will lean on seniors
McCort isn't carting out a green roster. Cambridge has five seniors along with three returning starters: Kiara Murphy, 6-foot post Eva Lamphear and junior Emma Krise, who led the team in scoring at 12 points per game while earning all-district honors.
They are joined in the starting five by fellow juniors Khloe Seresun and Grace Kinnan.
“Gracy is a very scrappy player and is a really good defensive player. Khloe can shoot very well and our returning (starters) have all bought into this really well,” McCort said.
“We have good leaders and they are all buying it into being one team rather than their individual sells. We want a collective group effort, that's what we got (against Claymont).”
Krise leads Cambridge to first win
Krise had a career performance with 28 points against the Mustangs and, while Cambridge is working to develop multiple threats offensively, team defense is already solidified, however overaggressive they occasionally may be.
“We've been good defensively,” McCort noted. “We are very scrappy and yes, sometimes we foul too much. I may lose my voice about getting them to stop fouling, but I don't want to take away that aggressive defensive play.
“We'll clean things up and stop reaching and picking up fouls. Offensively, it'll get better. There's a lot of new faces playing right now and they are getting comfortable in their roles.”
Contributions coming off bench
McCort also has a few players he can pull off the bench to get some quality minutes and help the team.
Senior Destiny Garcia brings the same motor she utilized on the soccer pitch onto the hardwood. McCort believes senior Jada Hall will contribute with good shooting from behind the arc.
Senior Mel Ruiz is “super athletic” and is scrappy on defense already while working to improve her offensive skill set.
Juniors Brynn Eubanks and Bailey Kenworthy will also see time off the bench, and four freshmen round out the varsity roster in Kainani Pacanas, Kensley Hollins, Haven Gordon, and M.J. Lamphear.
With only 14 total players on varsity and junior varsity, expect a lot of two quarter JV contests before the main tip-off. But McCort is happy to work who is there.
“I'm not worried,” McCort said. “We have our team, it's tight knit and it allows us to focus a lot more individually on the girls, helping them get better skill-wise."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Cambridge girls basketball seeks momentum for 2023-24 season
