Despite an explosive start against Eastchester on Jan. 20, Harrison still had to sweat out a tight win against its league opponent, squandering a 14-point lead before righting the ship and holding on for a 68-63 win. According to Huskies’ coach Louis Kail, the victory couldn’t have come at a better time for the Huskies.
After starting the season 7-1, Harrison had struggled recently against some top teams, dropping its previous four games. However, a first-quarter barrage that saw the Huskies outscore their opponents 21-7, helped with the frustration of dealing with a few close losses.
“I think that start was really important for the girls and for their confidence level,” Kail said. “We had a lot of pent-up emotions after that stretch, and it was great to see them play the way they did.”
Harrison’s relief was short-lived, however, as Eastchester came roaring back in the second quarter, thanks in part to a tremendous performance from Cassidy Mitchell, who had 15 points in the first half alone. The Huskies managed to withstand the run and collect themselves in the second half, a feat that showed great maturity, according to Kail.
“It says a lot, and we always talk about how it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” the head coach said. “We’re learning how to finish games, and that’s all attributed to the girls and the way that they’ve learned to take things away from our losses.”
Sophomore point guard Avery LaBarbera led the way for Harrison, netting 30 points on the evening and hitting two buzzer-beating 3-pointers, one at the end of the first quarter and the other at the end of the half. The sophomore has made great strides this year, despite garnering plenty of attention from opposing defenses.
“It’s easy to forget that she’s only a sophomore,” Kail said. “And her greatest growth this year has been in her understanding of basketball and in knowing that, as she goes, we go.”
The Eagles responded to the loss with a terrific showing against a talented Rye team, falling 54-50 in another wild game on Jan. 22. Harrison, who won again that same night topping Byram Hills 46-33 thanks to a 25-point effort from LaBarbera, will get their shot at the Garnets on Feb. 1.
According to Kail, it will take four quarters of team basketball to unseat the No. 6-ranked team in Section I.
“[Rye coach] Dennis [Hurlie] lives by the rule, ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,’” he said. “They’ve played the same way for years and they do it well.
“It’s their senior night, they’re going to be honoring one of the best players in the section in Maddie Eck, so it’s going to be a special night for them,” he added. “All we can do is go in there and play hard.”
