By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Taylor Mayweather is used to second-half success.
In the fall, she was part of a Robbinsville High School field hockey team known for its second-half play. Now the Ravens junior is experiencing some of the same inspired play in the second half of the girls basketball team’s season.
Said Mayweather: “I think it’s from us working extremely hard during practice and realizing since it’s coming close to the end, we do want to compete and win games and prove ourselves to the other teams that we are a team to watch out for.”
The Ravens had been competitive, but won just one of their first 10 games. Robbinsville turned the corner, though, with a 45-41 win over Lawrence on Jan. 25 to open a four-game winning streak that only ended Monday on a buzzer beater from Jackson Liberty.
”Before, it seemed all the games that we lost, it seemed we didn’t know how to win,” Mayweather said. “When it came to that tight one, we pulled through. That motivated us to show everyone that we can compete, even against teams that would consider us to be an easy team to beat.”
The Ravens followed their win over Lawrence with an even bigger win over Hopewell Valley, one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s top teams.
”Before the game, I’m pretty sure they didn’t think much of us,” Mayweather said. “They didn’t start many of their starters. We came into it like we could win the game. We surprised them that we could beat them.
”We’re working together and we’re understanding what everyone’s role is on the team and how we can use everyone to their best potential.”
With Mayweather, the Ravens know they can get some scoring. She has been in double figures in scoring in four of the last five games, including 13 in a 47-39 win over Allentown on Friday and 10 more in the 38-37 loss to Jackson Liberty on Monday.
”She’s probably one of the most talented basketball players at Robbinsville,” said Ravens girls coach Patrick Anderson. “Basketball is her sport. That’s important when you have the sort of make-up I have. We have a lot of girls that are playing different sports. In the offseason, she’s playing basketball.
”She’s a basketball player and she has a lot of experience with it. Down the stretch, we lean on that experience more. She’s so nice when she goes to the hoop. Because of us not have that sort of recognition of Robbinsville having a lot of players, it surprises teams. She’s become one of the leaders of our basketball.”
Mayweather has been a varsity contributor since her freshman year. She has grown each year and feels the pressure to be bigger part of the Ravens this season.
”I feel like my role has been changed over the course of the years into more of a leader and role model to the new young girls coming in,” Mayweather said. “I show them to take it serious during practice and that it’s important to work hard every day.”
Robbinsville could have packed it in after a 1-9 start, but instead they have come back to practice and play harder than ever.
”It’s been the attitude of the girls,” Anderson said. “We’ve talked to them about this is like our second season. They’ve bought into it. We could actually turn it around if we continue hard work on defense and execute offensively.”
The defense has been pretty consistent for the Ravens. They have held teams to 41 points or under in their last four games.
”In the beginning, we just weren’t working well together and communicating on the court and telling the players where we were,” Mayweather said. “Now we’re more focused and telling each other where other girls are and if we need help.”
Said Anderson: “We’ve been playing well defensively. Now it’s a matter of making sure our offense executes.”
Mayweather is trying to help Robbinsville at both ends, but she recognizes that she can help the offense develop by taking some pressure off her teammates.
”The team, we all rely on each other in different ways,” she said. “My offense as well as other players’, helps the team. And collectively, our defense keeps us in games. And that brings the intensity we need to play well on offense.”
The Ravens have started to put it together for a big finish to the year. It may have taken longer than they wanted it to, but they are playing the way they expected to now.
”We have confidence now that we can win games and we can compete with other teams and we are someone to watch out for in the coming MCT and states,” Mayweather said. “People shouldn’t take us as easily as they think we are.
”I always knew we were a talented team and we do have good athletes on our team,” she added. “We just needed to find out how to work together and how to win games as a team.”
