The Martin Luther High School Varsity Girls and Boys Basketball Tournament is known for its very high level of competition. Martin Luther Athletic Director Jim Reagan always brings in some of the finest teams from around NYC to play in this annual pre-holidays event. It is always a challenge for the Portledge teams, but we like to keep our place to see where our program stands. Just last year the Lady Panthers almost won the tournament only losing by a few points in an exciting final, and this year our boys team was definitely competitive even though they went down to defeat twice.
How Did The Varsity Girls Do?
It was a tough weekend for the VGBB team. They were playing without their starting point guard and many of the young players were experiencing this type of competition for the first time. Although they dropped both games by some considerable margins there were some definite positives that came out of the weekend. Sophomore Robyn Worrall played very well at the point and showed that she can handle the ball well when under pressure. This will certainly give Robyn and the rest of the team increased confidence when they face pressure defenses during league play. Also, Sophomore Akanksha Trivedi illustrated that she can score against some tough defenders, as well as rebound in some heavy traffic. Once again, this experience should pay off down the road. Lastly, watching the girls throughout the weekend one could see the team dynamic starting to evolve as the players got to spend more time together. Great job by coaches Henry and Reynolds in keeping the girls upbeat and making the entire weekend a positive one.
How About The Boys?
The VBBB team played two very tough and competitive games. They were in the lead at various times in both games and they demonstrated that they can score the basketball against some strong defenses. Sophomore Mark Dourmashkin really broke out in the opener against Martin Luther when he scored 25 points, while also dishing out some quality assists. In addition, Senior Ray Weinmann earned the start at center in the second game with his fine overall play and showed that he can be counted on to be a strong presence inside. Although he struggled a bit in the opener, Junior Aaron Lee played so well in the second game that he was selected as All Tournament by the tournament committee. Two losses are never easy to swallow, but the boys played well, and I think the experience they gained will help them as they try to reach their goal-to secure a spot in the IPPSAL play offs. Great job by Mr. Sandoval and Miss Nugent getting the guys ready and we will see you all at the Portledge Invitational next weekend. The girls semi finals will be on Thursday, while the boys will play their semis on Friday. Saturday will see a whole day off basketball at Wellington Gym as we play the girls consolation and final followed by the boys consolation and final. Play will begin at 11:00am and proceed throughout the day.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment