Caravel Wins Tiger Tip-off Tournament

(posted 12-07-09)

by Jim Charles

Tower's Joanna Kelly and Caravel's O'Hara Chard jockey for position.

A year ago, DGB.com picked the Lady Bucs as the pre-season third best team in the State.  The News Journal ranked them first.  But, a 1-point loss to Caesar Rodney in the State Tourney abruptly ended the Caravelians hopes of bringing the first Girls Basketball Title to Bear.

What followed was the graduation of all-everything point guard, Dara Taylor, and a mediocre showing in summer league.

Going into the 2009/2010 campaign, the Lady Bucs have not appeared in the pre-season rankings of either the News Journal or this website.  While I cannot speak for the former organization, I can say that DGB.com perceives Caravel as a team coming out of the Dara Taylor Era into a time of transition and challenge.  Job Number One for Coach Kristin Caldwell has to be replacing or reapportioning all the points that Taylor brought night after night.  No player on the current roster has a history of dominating games from the offensive end.  None are 20-point scorers and few can even contribute 10 per game consistently.  And that’s a problem. 

History is another problem.  As John Noonan so cogently pointed out in our pre-season coaches’ roundtable article, the overwhelming percentage of State Championship teams in Delaware have been led by a true superstar – a real “go-to”, money player.  There are no such players on the Caravel roster.

On the up side, however, is that the Lady Bucs are about as fine a defensive team as you’ll find in Delaware.  Another prop:  The maroon & white know how to play basketball.  This is a collection of athletes who know their way around the hardwood.  They play smart.  They play seasoned.  They don’t panic.  And it is this court knowledge, combined with their defensive prowess, that makes Caravel intriguing to the spectator and anxiety-creating to opponent coaches.

All of this leads up to the A.I. DuPont Tiger Tournament of this past weekend.  A quick, 4-team, single-elimination affair held perennially in the rolling hills of Greenville.

In their opener against a young and spirited Tower Hill, Caravel had to work for their 45 – 37 win.  The Hillers had chipped away at a large Buc lead to erode the margin to just 3 points with only a couple minutes to go.  Caravel then clamped down, cobbled together a small flurry of points, and punched their ticket to the tourney final.

Tower Hill sports an interesting array of players.  Jenny Cusack (soph) is a quality guard who comes over from the St. Mark’s program right into a starting role.  Hailey Lawler (freshman) starts at point.  In her high school debut, she looked steady and calm.  As she gets more and more court time under her belt, she will demonstrate the same skills that made her a force in CYM.  Senior, Joanna Kelly is a player who always looks like she’ll score a ton of points in a game, but who somehow manages not to.  In the past, playing behind such prolific scorers as Caitlin Van Sickle and Mary Hobbs, Kelly had a ready-made excuse.   With those legends gone, and with Kelly the lone twelfth grader on the squad, look for her to come up big for the Hillers.  Finally, it should be said that junior standout, Gracie Firestone, was sidelined for the tournament due to injury.  I’m sure the game would’ve been a little more exciting had she been able to play.

Caravel forward, sophomore O’Hara Chard, looked like a whole new player from what we had seen last year and at summer league.  Her former tentativeness and timidity were replaced with a grit and competitiveness that was wholly refreshing to see.  And make no mistake, there is perhaps no player in the lineup who is more key to the team’s fortunes this year than Chard.  Chard scraped together 10 points in the first round and added 6 in the final game.  For her efforts, she was named Tournament MVP.

And speaking of the final, a 39 – 14 blowout of Wilmington Christian, where Caravel leapt out to a 13 – 0 lead and never looked back, the Lady Bucs brought to the fore their suffocating team defense.  Offensively, no player achieved double-digits, yet, a whopping ten players scored.  Ellee Rollins led the way with 9 while fellow guard Mackenzie Chrisco contributed 8.

If you’re a Caravel fan – and who isn’t? – you have to be happy (maybe relieved is a better word) that your team has kicked off the new season on such a good note.  What will happen when the Wrangle Hill Road Gang have to face stiffer competition?  Will their defense (25.5 ppg allowed, so far) be strong enough to offset their offensive deficiencies?  We shall see.

The view from the coach’s box: 

We're happy with two wins, but we have a LONG way to go in terms of improvement.  We need to continue to work on all phases of the game, with a particular focus on fundamentals.  I believe our veterans will play better - especially Liz, because that mask is really driving her crazy (she only has to wear it another week or so).  O'Hara had a good tournament, but like I told her, I believe she has the potential to be a top five player in the state – I just don't think she realizes it.  Two freshman got significant playing time - Heather Wiley and Yasmin Walker. I am excited about both players' futures, along with a third freshman Caroline Reid.  Mac Chrisco is feeling her way back after an injury that sidelined her most of the summer and fall.  She had a much better game on the second day.  We will continue to work hard and hopefully each game will be a little better than the last...that's all I can ask for. 

 

I did want to add that while I wasn't pleased with how we played on Friday night, Tower Hill gave us all that we could handle.  I think they are very well coached.

 

Kristin Caldwell

Guard, Jenny Cusack, spent her freshman year at St. Mark's.  This is her first season as a Hiller.

Ashley Bonk and Hailey Lawler tangle for possession.

Mackenzie Chrisco is one of the veteran Lady Buc guards.

Hailey Lawler managed to land the role of Opening Day starting point guard as a freshman.

...And here's a shot of both players.

A Hiller eyes the basket while O'Hara Chard contests the attempt.

Caravel's Liz Wise brings the 'D'.  The facemask is to protect a broken nose suffered from a field hockey incident.

Frosh, Sophie McCoy looks to pass over Ellee Rollins.

Left to right, facing the camera, Tower Hill freshman, Jenna Chodos, Hiller Joanna Kelly (with ball), Lady Buc Liz Wise, and coming in from the right side with arms extended, Caravelian, O'Hara Chard.

A second later, Kelly turns and shoots while Chard tried to deny the shot.

A player who should be on everyone's radar is Caravel 9th grader, Heather Wiley.

Game Summary

CARAVEL-Wiley 2 0-0 5, Rollins 1 0-0 2, Chrisco 1 0-0- 3, Reid 0 0-0 0, Bonk 2 3-4 7, Chard 4 2-2 10, Peterson 0 0-0 0, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Walker 2 3-6 8, Swank 0 0-0 0, Wise 5 0-0 10. Totals 17 8-12 45.
TOWER HILL-O'Donnell 0 0-0 0, Cusack 1 2-4 5, McCoy 3 1-4 7, DeDomincis 0 0-0 0, Chodos 4 0-2 8, B. Kelly 2 3-4 7, J. Kelly 3 0-0 6, Lawler 1 0-0 2, Collins 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 6-14 37.
3-point goals-C 3 (Wiley, Chrisco, Walker), TH 1 (Cusack).

Game Summary

A.I,. du Pont Tip-Off Tournament championship game
CARAVEL - Wiley 1 0-0 2, Rollins 3 3-4 9, Chrisco 4 0-0 8, Reid 1 0-0 2, Bonk 1 2-6 4, Chard 3 0-1 6, Peterson 1 0-0 2, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Walker 1 0-0 2, Swank 1 0-1 2, Wise 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 5-11 39.
WILMINGTON CHRISTIAN - C. Connell 2 0-0 6, A. Connell 0 0-2 0, Hickman 0 0-0 0, Hill 1 0-0 2, V. Ogle 0 0-0 0, Eastman 0 0-1 0, Byrd 0 0-0 0, K. Ogle 0 0-0 0, A. Stella 1 4-7 6, Gordon 0 0-0 0, Barrick 0 0-0 0. Totals 4 4-10 14.
3-point goals-WC 2 (C. Connell 2).
All-Tournament team: Natalie Stanek, A.I. du Pont; Joanna Kelly, Tower Hill; Natalie Stella, Wilmington Christian; Liz Wise, Caravel; MVP: O'Hara Chard, Caravel.

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