Girls Varsity basketball hustles for a 37-33 win over Columbia

Kyley Gary-Grayson with 22 points, led the Mountaineers (2-0) for a 37-33 win over Columbia High today, who previously beat them twice last season. Junior Alexa Chapman earned six points and Mya Bushrod, junior, followed with four points. 

“I’m proud of the girls…That team beat us twice last year so it shows us how much growth they had in one year.” Head Coach Caniece Williams, who is now in her tenth season coaching for the girls basketball team, excitedly recalled. 

The defense was the key at the Varsity girls’ first home game, as they hustled across the court to make steals and block off Columbia’s offense, leading to a 21-17 score by halftime.

“We’re doing pretty good, we just need to make sure we are playing controlled and play together as a team,” said Coach Williams, a few minutes before the third quarter. 

West Orange stayed consistent in energy as they racked up another eight points before the start of the fourth quarter. With a foul in favor of West Orange, the clock read 7.6 seconds, allowing Gary-Grayson to swish one last time on a free throw, securing a second win for the Mountaineers. 

Throughout the game, the team showed good sportsmanship as they helped one another get to their feet and the sideline never stopped cheering those on the floor. 

Now with a 2-0 record, West Orange is anticipating a good season for the team. “As long as we make those little incremental improvements every single day, by the end of the year it’ll look amazing.” optimistically stated Assistant Coach Meghan Colabella in her eighth year with the girls’ team. 

West Orange High will play away against Morristown-Beard at 12 p.m. tomorrow.