Hsiao steers WW-P South past PDS
PRINCETON JCT. >> People looking at the records of the Princeton Day School and West Windsor-Plainsboro High South varsity girls’ basketball teams at this point in January might call their seasons “over.”
The Panthers and Pirates don’t see it that way.
Yes, they have struggled, but they still have goals they would like to accomplish as they strive to improve.
When those teams met Saturday morning in the newer Pirates’ Cove, both were working toward getting better as WW-P South defeated PDS, 46-24.
It was the fourth win for first-year head coach Zak Kumor’s squad and its second-highest scoring output.
“Our goal is to get a good team dynamic going and win a few more games,” Pirates’ 5-foot-10 senior forward Katie Hsiao said.
As one of the 10 seniors WW-P South had this season, this is a big time for a player like Hsiao, who does not plan to play in college.
With the regular season winding down and the Mercer County Tournament just a couple weeks away, Hsiao, the team’s leading scorer, will be one of the players counted on to lead the stretch drive.
“Since it’s my senior year, I would like to go out strong,” she said. “I’d still like to score better and have more fun with my teammates before we’re done.”
Hsiao had her second-best scoring day of the season Saturday, leading the way with 14 points, while her classmate Emma Yanagi, a five-foot guard, backed her with 11 points.
Talia Black and her younger sister, Eliana, combined to score nine more points, while also splitting 14 rebounds for the Pirates.
A 15-foot- jump shot by Hsiao gave WW-P South a 13-4 edge at the end of one quarter. That put third-year head coach Seraphine Hamilton’s club in a hole it had trouble escaping, although the Panthers did make a late push.
“We usually play better in the third and fourth quarters,” PDS’ 5-6 freshman guard Makayla Rondinelli said. “I don’t know why it is. We just seem to turn it on in the second half. Once we turn it on, I think we’ve got it.”
The youngster from Cream Ridge has been a help to leading scorer Mia Hartman this season. Hartman, a 5-9 junior guard/forward, directed the attack again yesterday with 12 points, while Rondinelli followed with seven points and a gamehigh 11 rebounds.
“I think we’re doing good as a team,” Rondinelli said. “Individually, we still need to work on some things.”
With four regular-season games left, then the NJISAA Prep B Tournament, the Mercer County Tournament and the NJSIAA Tournament lying ahead, Princeton Day School also still has time to boost its win total.
PDS (24)
Gardner 1-0-2, PSmith 0-1-1, MHartman 4-3-12, KZarish-Yasunas 0-0-0, Kolli 1-0-2, Rondinelli 2-3-7, Barber 0-0-0, NGruteser 0-0-0, Richter 0-0-0, AGruteser 0-0-0. Totals — 8-7-24.
WW-P SOUTH (46)
TBlack 2-0-4, Hsiao 6-1-14, Yanagi 3-4-11, Sorensen 1-1-3, Banjeree 0-0-0, Emerah 0-0-0, Negi 0-0-0, Sarathy 0-0-0, Holden 1-0-3, RJoseph 1-0-2, EBlack 2-0-5, Ruiz 0-2-2, Montemayor 1-0-2.
Totals — 17-8-46.
PDS (2-13) 4 5 3 12 — 24 WW-PSouth(4-14) 13 13 12 8 — 46
3-point goals — MHartman (PDS), Hsiao, Yanagi, Holden, EBlack (WWS).