Raider girls’ hoops earn 20th win
By: Andrew Cangiano
LAWRENCE Freshman forward Emily Gratch showed that not only does the Hun School have a solid girls’ basketball squad now, they also have a promising future.
Gratch scored 11 points in the Raiders win over Lawrence High School, despite sitting on the bench for long stretches during the 53-21 rout. By routing the Cardinals at their "Nest" Hun upped its record to 19-1 on the season before winning its 20th of the year, 55-45, over Hopewell on Wednesday behind 27 points from Shantee Darrian. Gratch had nine points in the win over the Bulldogs.
Monday, the Raiders got out to an early lead and finished the first quarter with a 21-2 advantage, led by Mary Stinson’s eight points in the initial period.
That allowed Hun coach Bill Holup to play his reserves for long stretches the rest of the half.
"The whole objective was for them to play hard," Holup said, adding that he’d like to see fewer dribbles and more of a structure on offense by his group of substitutes.
In the second half the Raiders continued to pull away, as senior point guard Ica Morales sank a long buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Hun a 44-16 lead at the end of the third quarter. Stinson finished as the Raiders’ leading scorer with 13, and Darrian, a senior, chipped in with six points.
Gratch will be counted on to step up next year after the graduation of players like Darrian and Morales. Holup said he will be sad to see his seniors leave, but believes Gratch will be able to help the team in the future.
"I’m gonna miss them all," Holup said of his graduating seniors. "They’ve all contributed."
In regards to Gratch’s play this season Holup said, "She’s been tremendous. She’s the future right now. She gives us so much help offensively and defensively."
Gratch displayed her tenacity against Lawrence, as she chased down her own miss on a free throw attempt. Holup said Gratch gives 110 percent on both ends of the court, but it is her stellar defense that sets her apart.
Holup said that most players try hard on the offensive end, but that Gratch’s intensity on defense shows her passion for winning and for her team. Emily’s father, Mike Gratch, said his daughter loves playing basketball with her teammates.
"All of the years playing basketball, this is the nicest group of girls she’s played with," said Mr. Gratch. "She’s gonna miss (the seniors) next year."
Emily comes from a family of basketball players, as her brother and sister were both captains for their teams at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., said Mr. Gratch.
He said Emily chose not to attend the Hill School because she didn’t want to live away from home and relished the opportunity of playing for Holup.
"She just loves this team," said Mr. Gratch. "She’s like part of the family."
Mr. Gratch said Emily started playing basketball when she was 6 and that by age 9 she was playing AAU basketball for the Bucks County Renegades. He added that she also plays for the Hun girls’ soccer team in the fall.
As the regular season winds down, Gratch and her teammates will soon begin postseason play in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League and Prep A tournaments, for which the Lawrence and Hopewell games served as a tune-ups.
In his assessment of the team’s performance, Holup said that despite the lopsided win, the Raiders played sluggish against the Cardinals.
"We didn’t play as well as we’re capable of," Holup said.
The Raiders host Blair Academy on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Prep A Tournament.
Holup and his team are looking forward to a possible rematch against the Peddie School, which handed the Hun its only defeat on the season. However, Holup knows his team can not overlook their first opponent.
"They’re no cupcake," Holup said in reference to Blair, who the Raiders have beaten twice already this season. "It’s tough to play a team a third time. It’s a big rivalry. We know them real well, they know us real well. It’s going to be more pressure on them. We’re a better team, they’re going to have to develop a way to stop us."
A win against Blair would likely set-up a much-anticipated re-match with Peddie in the MAPL finals.
"We have to play a near flawless game," Holup said of his team’s outlook against Peddie.
Holup said he was happy with his team’s defensive effort in the first game against Peddie, but said the Raiders must take better care of the ball if they hope to win the next time the two teams square off.