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02/19/2020 11:00 PMThe name Lexi Pendziwater has been synonymous with East Haven girls’ basketball for the past four years. Captain, record holder, and champion are just a few of the words that you could use to describe Lexi.
Lexi was a difference maker from the second she stepped on the court at East Haven. Named a starter in her freshman season, Lexi has remained in that position all the way through her senior year.
“It’s been a really great experience, being able to play with all the girls I’ve played with,” says Lexi. “It has improved not just my playing skills, but my experience playing basketball, as well.”
A 5-foot-5 guard, Lexi was named a captain for the Yellowjackets heading into her junior season. Lexi and fellow senior Bella Ragaini are serving as the team’s captains this year—and it’s a role that neither athlete takes lightly.
“We communicate with the team a lot. We’ve learned how to come together,” says Lexi. “We’ve done pasta dinners, we’ve done team breakfasts. I think being leaders, we need to communicate and not just tell the rest of the team what to do.”
Lexi went through a major setback prior to her junior season. Lexi tore ligaments and cartilage in her ankle while playing volleyball and needed to have surgery as a result.
“It was really difficult. I had to relearn how to flex my foot and walk. My first day back wasn’t until the first day of basketball practice,” Lexi says. “I still had to get back into shape. I started off slow, but after a couple weeks, I got back into it. It was hard.”
Although her season started slowly, Lexi finished the year as East Haven’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. Lexi says that breaking the record was even more special due to the support that she received from her teammates.
For Yellowjackets’ Head Coach Anthony Russell, it was a moment that he will never forget.
“I was so happy for Lexi when she broke the record. I know how hard she works. It was an amazing accomplishment for her,” says Russell. “Spending the past four years with her has been wonderful. She’s been a constant in the program for a really long time, and we’re really going to miss her.”
Lexi credits her shot-making ability to all the hard work that she’s put in throughout her basketball career. Lexi plays basketball on a year-round basis and has been working with a trainer since the 4th grade. She believes that consistently being on the court has made her shot what it is today.
While she’s known for her shooting skills, one of the most memorable moments of Lexi’s high school career came from a shot that a teammate made. In 2018, when East Haven faced Career in the Class M state championship game, Ragaini hit a last-second buzzer-beater to give the Yellowjackets a 49-47 victory and their first state championship.
“It was the best game ever. It was the best feeling,” Lexi says. “We were nervous about the outcome as we kept battling against Career the whole game. Having the bleachers packed and having everyone’s family and friends cheering for us, it was the best feeling ever.”
Lexi says that her family has been extremely supportive during her career at East Haven. Lexi’s dad helped her get her started on the basketball court.
“I love it that they come and support me,” says Lexi of her family. “Every single game, I have an aunt, an uncle, both my parents, both my grandparents. They enjoy watching me play, and I enjoy playing for them. I dedicate my game to my family. It’s really exciting, and it means a lot.”
When Lexi graduates from East Haven, the Pendziwater family will have another opportunity to watch her play basketball. Lexi recently signed to continue her career at Albertus Magnus College, where she’s planning on majoring in criminal justice. Lexi is looking forward to playing for Falcons’ Head Coach JR Fredette, as well as some of the athletes on the team that she knows from the AAU circuit.
After working with Lexi for the past four seasons, Coach Russell isn’t going to forget the star 3-point shooter anytime soon.
“Lexi’s reliable. That’s one of the best compliments I could give a player. You could always rely on her. For her, that’s on the court and off the court,” says Russell. “She’s served as a wonderful captain the last two years. She’s had an amazing high school career. Her consistency is something we are going to miss the most. You build these relationships, and it’s tough to say good-bye, but she’ll always have a place in the East Haven basketball family.”
Lexi has earned some impressive accolades on the basketball court, but most of all, she wants to be remembered as a positive person who was always there for her teammates. Even though her time as Yellowjacket is reaching its conclusion, Lexi’s life as a basketball player will continue.
“Basketball has basically become my life. I wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, play basketball, and go to sleep. Even when the season is over, that’s what I do, because I enjoy it,” says Lexi. “Being able to continue in college is great, because I don’t have to worry about not playing. I’ll get to keep playing. I’ll be happy.”