Girls basketball falls to Barnstable, 59-23

Talented, deep Red Raiders in charge throughout.

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The MVRHS girls basketball team found themselves overmatched by a skilled, veteran Barnstable team on Friday at the high school. The hosts could not match the speed, size, and depth of talent of a Red Raider team that entered the game at 12 and 5 on the season, and controlled the game from the opening tap.

From the start, Barnstable employed a full-court press to harry the Vineyard guards as they brought the ball upcourt. Although the hosts succeeded in breaking the press more often than not, the pressure led to turnovers, which were often converted to Raider baskets. 

To complicate matters, the Vineyard shooters could not find their touch. Good ball movement on the offensive end was resulting in open shots, but they were not falling. Despite strong efforts by senior captains Kat O’Brien at guard, and Sasha Lakis underneath, Barnstable led by nine after one period, 14-5.

As the hosts’ shooting woes continued in period two, the Red Raiders caught fire. Senior Abby Al-Asousi led the way, hitting four three-pointers in the period, and 14 points overall. Although Vineyard senior Riley Yuhas nailed two late threes of her own, Barnstable pulled away and led 39-14 at the half.

The pattern held true the rest of the way. The Vineyarders worked hard and patiently to find good shots, but could not establish momentum against the scrappy Raider defense. With a deep bench, the visitors rotated rested players into the game freely, and dominated at both ends of the court. The final score of 59-23 reflected the one-sided nature of the contest. 

Sasha Lakis was a force on the boards throughout the game, and finished with seven points to lead the Vineyarders. Point guard Kylie Estrella directed the hosts’ press-breaking and offense admirably. Barnstable’s Abby Al-Asousi had 15 points to lead all scorers.

The girls finished their season with a home loss against Carver High School on Tuesday, Feb. 18, giving the team a 4 and 16 record for the year.