Senior sets up South for state tourney berth
By: Justin Feil
Khara Lewin had one overwhelming thought coming into her final season with the West Windsor-Plainsboro South girls’ basketball team.
"The biggest thing was I looked at the senior year the girls had last year," Lewin said, "and I did not want that."
Lewin tried to take steps to ensure that the Pirate seniors’ season would be a good one. She organized days in the fall before the season began when the team could use the weight room together. She came up with times when the team could play pick-up together. They were little things that she thought would fix a problem with last year’s squad.
"Our team chemistry last year was not as strong as it needed to be," Lewin said. "Even if we had a group of really talented basketball players, I don’t think it would have worked out.
"The biggest thing that I wanted to do before the season started was get the girls to meet each other," she explained. "For any freshmen, I wanted to have weight room days and days when we played together."
Lewin took the lead on overseeing the preseason activities while fellow seniors Kristina Shemming played soccer and Mariel Suarez was injured. Lewin’s efforts seem to have been rewarded.
"She came in since Day One ready to go," said Pirates head coach Lisa Guarneri, whose team hosts Notre Dame tonight. "She had the energy. She had been doing cross country. I think this year, she was going to focus on basketball and track and she didn’t (do cross country). She and Kristina are our best leaders. Khara is a great communicator on the court. I think she’s had games where she has not scored many points, but she’s helped by being good about talking and keeping the morale up. We have a good repertoire with each other."
The Pirates have turned their good feelings for each other into a closely knit team that is winning together. After winning just four games last season, WW-P South defeated Pemberton, 47-28, Thursday to guarantee themselves a berth in the state tournament. The Pirates improved to 10-6 then with a 58-34 win over Lawrence on Friday. The wins came on the heels of a disappointing three-point loss to Princeton High last Tuesday.
Said Lewin, who had 10 points and four assists in the win over Lawrence, "Going into our next game, which was Pemberton, we walked into team room and our coach had written on the board Hightstown’s record when they beat us and Princeton’s when they beat us. Pemberton didn’t have a good record either. That put things in perspective for us. It’s hard for us to play four quarters, 32 full minutes of basketball. I think we’re getting used to doing that as the season goes on."
The Pirates had gotten off to a slow start against PHS. They fell behind by seven at halftime. WW-P South didn’t give any such hope to Pemberton or Lawrence. The Pirates jumped out to a 28-9 lead in the first half against Pemberton. They scored 29 points in the first quarter against Lawrence.
"Defensively, Princeton did a great job," Guarneri said. "We got hammered on every single screen. We were not there defensively. We did better defensively. That’s how we’re going to win games, stopping teams man-to-man."
In her first season at the helm, Guarneri has tried to build on the Pirates’ strengths. Defense was a good starting point, one that ultimately has gotten them into the state tournament after a one-year absence.
"That’s what I had heard about (WW-P South teams)," she said. "They get a lot of soccer players and good athletes who get it done the defensive end. They have a lot of the defensive fundamentals that you don’t have to go over. At some places, there are a lot of players who can play offense but don’t like to play defense. I love being able to coach offense since we have the defense."
Lewin fits the prototype South player. She has been a strong performer for the track team and also done cross country. But in the winter, she’s been a quick-footed defender who is capable of pressuring the ball with the best of them. Offensively, she has also come up with some big games. She provides leadership as someone capable of bringing the ball up, and she’s a strong driver to the basket.
"The biggest thing is we are a defensive team," Lewin said. "We do such a great job of playing defense. We can play defense for two minutes if have to. I don’t think there are a lot of teams like that.
"Our issue is when the shot goes up, we watch the ball. We need to focus on boxing out. And we play such fast-paced defense, sometimes when we get a steal we get so caught up in playing fast-paced defense that we rush on defense. That’s what we’re focused on now."
WW-P South is trying to resolve its rebounding and rushing issues as it prepares for the Mercer County Tournament and state tournament. The Pirates will be attacking their shortcomings together.
"I think the biggest thing is we have team chemistry," Lewin said. "We all like each other. We all like playing with each other. That makes it that much easier to get stuff done on the court."
Lewin tried to do whatever she could in the preseason to give the Pirates a good start. She’s tried to keep it going during the season, one that will continue into the state’s after Thursday’s ninth win of the season.
"I just try to be positive as much as I can," Lewin said. "It’s supposed to be fun. Nobody wants that senior yelling at them. It’s an important year for me, Kristina Shemming and Mariel Suarez. I try to make every day a good day and make sure everyone works hard to get better.
"I would say my role changed a lot last year to this year. This is the first year I was a consistent starter. That makes a difference. The starters are the people that set the pace for the game, and set the tone. It’s gotten to the point where my days in high school are numbered and I want to make them as fun as I can. Personally, last year wasn’t fun. I didn’t want any underclassmen or me or seniors to feel that way this year."
With a winning record and a berth in states, Khara Lewin and the Pirates have made sure that this year will end with only positives. Just like it started.