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04/04/2019 12:00 AMSavannah Marshall has seen her experience with the Westbrook girls’ basketball team as an extension of her home. The experience has driven Savannah to become one of the most decorated athletes in the history of the school.
The senior captain guard recently led the Knights to another Class S State Tournament appearance after a nine-win regular season. But most impressive, Savannah’s career on the court that saw her finish with 1,421 points, which is fourth most in the history of the girls’ program and fifth most overall. On top of that, the senior notched 531 rebounds, 404 steals, and 19 points per game over the course of her four seasons. Additionally, Savannah was named to the All-Shoreline Conference Team four times, and on three occasions, she was selected to the All-State and New Haven Register’s All-Area squads.
Through all her individual accolades, Savannah believes that she was propelled to such great heights through the Knights’ team that she considered her family.
“A big part of my success has been the whole team, and it being a family. The family aspect makes me want to succeed and do well for them,” says Savannah, a 2019 McDonald’s All-American nominee. “Sticking together and being a family has helped us get to the places we need to be. My mom [Westbrook girls’ hoops Head Coach Kelly Landino] has also pushed and motivated me.”
Savannah loves pulling up within close proximity to the hoop when, but she knows that it requires an added layer of depth to be a proficient scorer, and so she adapted and learned to strike from the wing.
“I love driving to the hoop; the closer you get to it, the easier it is to score,” says Savannah. “But I had to also learn how to score outside, so developing the three-point game was fun.”
Savannah added more to her game on defense by putting in critical offseason work away from Westbrook. Savannah learned from top-notch coaches and opponents to help her become a lock-down defender on the floor.
“I focused a lot on my defensive skills through AAU, because my coaches there made me focus on defense,” Savannah says. “I guarded girls that were so athletic and quick in AAU, which helped me become well-rounded with my defense. Defense still drives offense, because you can get that steal and score again.”
So many memorable moments have surrounded Savannah and her fellow Knights during her tenure, including a pair of personal milestones, along with a second-half surge and comeback win over an old rival her sophomore season.
“The game where I reached 1,000 points for my career as a junior was really special [on January 19, 2018 against Hale-Ray]. It was such a special night and my teammates helped with the celebration after,” says Savannah. “My sophomore year, we beat North Branford in overtime. We were down in the first half and came back. To come back in the second half and persevere was a great memory. This year, I scored my career-high for points in a game with 40 against Old Saybrook, and I was so close to the school record [44].”
Coach Landino details that it hasn’t always been an easy road paved with success for Savannah, but those bumps and bruises—and how she’s responded to them—has revealed her true greatness as an athlete.
“Savannah is focused and relentless, she plays unselfishly, with great toughness and without fear. Her will to win is incredible, and I have certainly enjoyed the show from the sidelines for many years,” says Landino. “She has played through it all, from being hospitalized with viral meningitis her freshman year and missing 22 days of the season, to a fractured elbow junior year, and a torn labrum this year. Anything less than a freight train would not suit Savannah’s heart. There is no one in the world I would rather walk into battle with than Savannah. Our program will miss her, our team will miss her, and I will miss coaching her very much.”
This fall, Savannah will set out for the next phase of her career, as she’s committed to play at Division I school Sacred Heart University. Her first year will be about balancing the ball and the books, plus Savannah is eager to see how she can thrive in a new environment.
“Academically, I want to keep my grades up and balance school with basketball. I’m excited but focused on making sure my academics don’t fall through,” says Savannah, who thanks Landino, Westbrook girls’ basketball assistant coach Paula Fitzgerald, and all of her family, friends, and teammates. “Basketball-wise, I’m looking forward to being able to see what I can do with different people around me in a higher level of basketball.”