Milford Girls’ Basketball takes season opener 37-34

By Kevin Eickman

MHS Girl’s Basketball took their season opener against Delmar

Just three weeks ago, the Milford girls’ basketball team was concerned about whether they’d even have enough players to have a girl’s team. On Thursday, however, not only did they have a team, but they won their season opener, defeating visiting Delmar by a score of 37-34.

The game was characterized by tough physical play, as both teams used a pressure defense, forcing many turnovers. With the focus on defense, the offense was bound to suffer. The game ultimately came down to a free-throw contest in the fourth quarter, where Milford would get nine of 12 from the charity stripe, and Delmar only connected on two of 12. It was a stark change for Milford, who struggled at the line in the first half, converting just two of six.

Milford took a 17-16 lead into halftime and struggled on offense for big chunks of the third quarter. However, it would be junior Tristen Showell who would connect on two important three-point shots, while senior Janessa Olivas would add a key three-pointer as well, accounting for all of Milford’s scoring for the third quarter. The three-point shots helped Milford extend their lead to 26-24, leaving Milford the opportunity to close out the game in the fourth quarter as they did.

First-year coach Cleveland Wilson said after the game that there was some serious doubt whether about whether Milford could even field a team this year, considering only five players came out for tryouts.

“But these girls wanted to play, and they reached out to their friends, and now we have a squad of nine because that is what Buc Pride is, representing Milford even when the deck is stacked against you,” he said.

Running the point for Milford was sophomore co-captain Miracle Morris, who said she was happy with the win but felt the team could have made it easier on themselves. “

“We made it a little bit harder than it needed to be tonight, but these are all things we can get better at as the season goes on,” Morris said. “At the end of the day, we got the win, and that is what counts.”

Showell, the other co-captain, scored nine points in the game and said she was very proud of the new team members.

“Everyone is learning very quickly, and you like to see that,” Showell said. “It’s not easy to come in and play varsity basketball; it’s really challenging and has taken a lot of work. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I believe in this team.”

When asked about his hopes for this season were, Wilson said, “We’re going to get better. Every girl has a lot of heart, and that is something you can’t teach. These players are smart and eager to learn. We know there are some teams we don’t match up against, but we also know that we will get better every game as the season goes on. I’m very anxious to see how good we can get.”