Martlets Defeat Deerfield

In a rematch of the first game of the season, the Martlets took on a tough Deerfield team. Going into the game, we knew it would be a close one, due to our double overtime win in the first match. The girls were ready to go pregame, having great energy, focus, and a positive attitude. Quick baskets were made by Emma Isakoff ‘25 and Avauni Anderson ‘25 to help the Martlets take an early lead. It wasn’t long before Deerfield answered and went on a 5-0 run. This rattled the Martlets, which caused them to lose that energy and focus the girls had previously. The start of the second quarter provided a fresh start for the Martlets and the focus was back. With each basket by Deerfield, Westy answered to keep the game close. Baskets by Adam Dembele ‘25, Bella Lilien ‘27, and Avauni Anderson ‘25 were key in keeping the score close. On the defensive side of the floor, the communication and energy were much improved from the first quarter. Emma Isakoff ‘25, Ainslee Deptula ‘28, and Janet Kiburi ‘26 came into the game playing lockdown defense, which helped give the Martlets the spark they needed. Going into halftime the score was tied 13-13. The Martlets came out ready to fight, the third quarter started a little shaky. The Martlets were losing steam on defense and committing consecutive turnovers. Due to these mistakes, the Martlets found themselves down by 7. After a quick timeout to reset, the girls went back out with a renewed sense of urgency. A three from Suri Dong ‘28 and a basket by Bella Lilien ‘27 sparked the need to keep fighting and stay in the game. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Martlets were down 21-17. The moment that turned the game around was when the girls were able to break the 1-2-2 press Deerfield has been using the entirety of the game. Breaking it led to a basket by Janet Kiburi ‘26. This completely shifted the energy and trajectory for the Martlets, now on the offensive, the girls scored multiple times in a row. Key baskets from Ainslee Deptula ‘28, Bella Lilien ‘27, and Avauni Anderson ‘25 gave the Martlets the cushion they needed to secure the lead. Janey Kiburi ‘26 grabbed multiple important rebounds for the Martlets to retain possession in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Callie Graby ‘28 came off the bench with great defensive energy and hustle. It was a great team win for the Martlets and Sixth formers who had not beaten Deerfield in their time at Westy. The Martlets hope to keep the ball rolling in another close match against KO.