Inexperience factor looms large in Lady Trojan season opening loss

Lady Trojans Kelsey Yates (left) and Brynne Jones make life under the basket miserable for York's Jayla Sanders.

Alan Chamberlain photos

New Kent’s Lady Trojan basketball roster lists 10 members, but only one boasts significant playing time on the varsity level. That lack of experience weighed heavily on Tuesday night’s outcome as the Lady Trojans hosted York’s Falcons in the season opener for both.

The Falcons utilized huge advantages in the rebounding and turnover battles, and of course scoring despite shooting just 19 percent from the floor in the first half, on the way to a 48-24 victory.

While disappointed with the loss, first-year New Kent head coach Vann Baker expressed no surprise with the result.

“This is going to be a tough year, and I knew that coming in,” said the former Poquoson assistant.

“We’re starting from the bottom and stressing fundamentals,” she said. “We have two seniors [Brittany LaPrade and Sarah Major] and only one [LaPrade] with a lot of experience. The majority are freshmen with no varsity experience so this is a completely rebuilding year for us.”

As for the opener, New Kent managed its only lead of the night (4-3) on Kelsey Yates’ lay-in off a Payton Slater assist. York answered with back-to-back threes for a 9-4 advantage and never looked back. A 16-8 Falcon lead after one quarter ballooned to 30-12 at the half.

The hosts turned the ball over 22 times in the first half, compared to only seven for the Falcons. York also controlled the boards, especially at the offensive end where the visitors held a 15-4 edge.

New Kent encountered problems getting off shots, taking only 16 from the floor and sinking four before intermission. York, meanwhile, converted only seven of 37 attempts.

LaPrade, the team leader in varsity experience, finished with a team-high nine points while Major chipped in four. Newcomers contributed the remainder with Brynne Jones tossing in five, Yates adding four, and Slater totaling one.

“You have to play basketball year-round, and we don’t have that here right now,” Baker said, adding that an off-season program is key for developing players and improving New Kent’s basketball fortunes.

New Kent’s Payton Slater uses a forearm to create space as she drives past York defender Madison VanDyke.