Winter league teams hope to stay undefeated
The HOOPS4L.Y.F.E. (H4L) nonprofit is participating in the Winston Lake YMCA Winter Basketball League. The nonprofit has a team in the 5-7 age group along with a team in the 8-10 age group and both were undefeated going into league play last Saturday.
Going into Saturday’s game there were only two weeks left in regular season play before the playoffs tipped off. The H4L 8-10 team entered the game 5-0 and went up against the Wolfpack Saturday morning.
H4L founder and director, Brittany Ward, is the head coach for both teams. She says she likes to preach the fundamentals especially defense because those are the things that win ballgames.
The 8-10 team played a tough Wolfpack team that would not give in. Every time they looked to go on a run, the Wolfpack quickly answered with one of their own. The game was tied at 6 at the half.
The second half was one of hits and misses. The Wolfpack made their free throws down the stretch while the H4L team did not. The Wolfpack won the game 17-10.
“I just told my guys that they needed to make some better choices at the end of the game and that we also needed to hit our free throws,” Ward said. “Those free throws they made were pivotal in our game because they made theirs and we did not.”
“We also struggled to get the ball up court and we had some key players foul out,” she continued. “I told them those are the things we need to work on to get ready for the playoffs.
For the 5-7 age group, they do not officially take score. Of course many of the parents and coaches are very competitive, so scores are taken unofficially. The 5-7 team from H4L once again defeated their opponent Saturday night.
According to Ward, her 5-7 team is very advanced for their age. She feels if they continue to play together as they grow they can be a very good team for years to come.
“That team is very dominant and they seem to be light years ahead of the other teams,” she said.
She said she expects her 8-10 team to bounce back from this defeat and use it as a learning experience going into the playoffs. Her hopes are for her team to use this as fuel to propel them to a long playoff run.
