Apponequet girls basketball team continue win streak with strong mindsets and team synergy
Lakers player Elyza Wagner dribbles by the defense during a home game against West Bridgewater, Saturday, Jan. 10. Photos by Sam Tucker
Freshman Laker Kyla Claro puts up the defense. Coach Trevor Gagnier said this year's squad has a mix of senior leaders as well as freshman talent.
Elyza Wagner battles for the ball near the opponent's hoop. The game was mostly neck and neck throughout the first half, but the Lakers left West Bridgewater behind as the game played out.
Senior Cecelia Levrault makes a charge towards the opponent's hoop. She said over the last four years on the team, players have always found a way to have fun while they work towards wins and improvement.
Lakers player Hannah Kuriscak, center, looks across the court before starting a play. After the Saturday win, the Lakers now stand at 8 wins and 1 loss. 
Kathleen Suneson, center, works the ball through West Bridgewater's defense. She said she hopes to see the team make it deep into the playoffs this season.
Lakers player Grace Schwartz eyes a lay-up. The next game for the Lakers will be on Jan. 13, against Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.
Lakers player Elyza Wagner dribbles by the defense during a home game against West Bridgewater, Saturday, Jan. 10. Photos by Sam Tucker
Freshman Laker Kyla Claro puts up the defense. Coach Trevor Gagnier said this year's squad has a mix of senior leaders as well as freshman talent.
Elyza Wagner battles for the ball near the opponent's hoop. The game was mostly neck and neck throughout the first half, but the Lakers left West Bridgewater behind as the game played out.
Senior Cecelia Levrault makes a charge towards the opponent's hoop. She said over the last four years on the team, players have always found a way to have fun while they work towards wins and improvement.
Lakers player Hannah Kuriscak, center, looks across the court before starting a play. After the Saturday win, the Lakers now stand at 8 wins and 1 loss.
Kathleen Suneson, center, works the ball through West Bridgewater's defense. She said she hopes to see the team make it deep into the playoffs this season.
Lakers player Grace Schwartz eyes a lay-up. The next game for the Lakers will be on Jan. 13, against Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School.
LAKEVILLE — The Apponequet Regional High School Varsity girls basketball team is finding their ingredients to success through the first nine games of the season.
On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Lakers played West Bridgewater at home, and came out on top with a 69-42 win. Head Coach Trevor Gagnier said their opponents played hard, but the Lakers squad has continued to fine tune their winning formula.
Gagnier said this year’s squad has both strong senior leadership and young talent, and players have supported each other to grow in every game and practice. The Lakers now stand at 8 wins and 1 loss.
“It's just one of those years where we're all pretty much on the same page, and you can kind of see it offensively and defensively,” he said. “Hopefully for us, we just keep improving."
On Saturday, Gagnier said the team’s balanced attacks and knowing the right times to make shots gave them the lead over West Bridgewater.
“We're at our best when we play with balance,” Gagnier said.
Senior Cecelia Levrault, who plays a mix of positions, said although the squad is on a winning streak, they keep pushing forward to plug any holes in their strategy and game day performances.
“We just keep pushing. I think every game is like a new challenge,” Cecelia said. “Every team is going to show us something different, and try to point out our weaknesses. I think we do a really good job working together and finding ways to get through these games.”
Junior Kathleen Suneson, who mostly plays small and power forward, agreed that the team has continued to push to address their weaknesses.
One weakness they found was in their only loss of the season against Medway High School earlier this season. Kathleen said Medwey used a 1-3-1 formation, the same formation West Bridgewater played on Saturday.
“We're working on it now. So, it showed today that we did good,” she said.
At practice and at games, the team focuses on improvement and keeping things fun, Cecelia said.
“For my four years, at practice we have fun, but we lock in when we need to. Coach finds things we need to work on, and we work on those things until we perfect them,” she said.
The players agreed that especially once their team music-playlist kicks on at practice, the squad is ready to work on the next challenge.
“Once we get to work, like, music is going off — we're locked in — and then we have fun from there,” Kathleen said.
As they put their heads down to prepare for their next home game against Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, the players have one motto.
“We hunt,” Cecelia said with a smile.
