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04/13/2023 07:46 AMTaylor Salato dedicated herself to the court and her club while playing basketball for East Haven High School and, only two years after her departure, she is continuing to produce in the paint collegiately while setting herself up for a tremendous upperclassmen portion of her career.
Taylor, a former senior captain for the East Haven girls’ basketball team and Class of 2021 member who was part of the Yellowjackets’ Class M state championship squad as a freshman in 2018, has thrived quite well on the court at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU).
In 28 games played this past campaign, Taylor, a sophomore forward/center, amassed averages of 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and shot to the tune of an 85.5 percentage from the free throw line as the Warriors claimed 22 victories, the regular season Little East Conference (LEC) title, and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
“My experience at Eastern has been great,” says Taylor. “My freshman year, I got a lot of playing experience, and then got even more this year. It was also a great experience for us playing in the NCAA Tournament. It has been an awesome time with my coaches and teammates; they have all helped make me into the player I am now.”
While being a presence in the paint, Taylor knows having her body take a pounding is par for the course and comes with the territory down low. She embraces the bumps and bruises while scoring from all angles inside the arc.
“If you are playing the post position, you have to be physically strong, so I did a lot of weight training last summer,” says Taylor. “You have to stay strong while getting knocked around down there. I also love scoring around the basket. I also love being able to get inside and shoot the mid-range jumper, which has helped me develop my offensive game a lot.”
As she saw the summit of team-based sports at the high school level right from the jump with the 2018 state crown at East Haven, Taylor adds that the Yellowjackets helped instill a tough and team-first mentality that has aided her well in her current standing.
“I had a lot of experience playing as forward and center in high school,” Taylor says. “The coaching at East Haven helped me; [former East Haven girls’ basketball Head Coach] Anthony Russell was a hard but great coach. It was all team mentality in high school at East Haven, and it is all team based in college, too.”
When it comes to comparing and contrasting the collegiate lifestyle in the lanes versus high school, Taylor points out that the timeline of events is sped up a bit, plus the collection of competitive talent is quite different and accelerated.
“The high school season starts a lot later, and there is an earlier start here,” says Taylor. “Basketball has been a year-round experience for me the last few years. It is a lot different here; the speed and talent is different. You will not have someone on a team who can’t guard you hard. You have to play tougher and harder.”
Additionally, Taylor was named February 6 LEC Player of the Week. During that week, she averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds off the bench. She shot 80% from the floor and 90% from the foul line with only two turnovers in 41 minutes against Plymouth State and Keene State.
“I took pride in defense this year, especially with rebounding,” Taylor says. “Our coaches tell us that you cannot win without winning on the boards. It was my goal to grab tough boards and play hard on defense. In practice, I worked on my footwork, speed, and post defense. There was definitely a shift from freshman year to now with my mindset.”
ECSU women’s basketball Head Coach Denise Bierly explains that Taylor figured quite prominently in the Warriors’ progression as a program this past winter, while she additionally developed the defensive component of her game.
“Taylor had an outstanding year playing alongside some high-level seniors. She was a key member and a key reason why we went 22-6, won the LEC regular season, and got an NCAA Tournament bid,” says Bierly. “She is a consistent scorer around the basket and on the perimeter with her jump shot. She improved greatly this year on her defense and rebounding. She has a very high basketball IQ. She is a great teammate constantly supporting everyone. We expect big things from her for next year, including her leadership on and off the court. Taylor is one of the hardest working players on our team. As a junior, if she keeps up the hard work and focus she could have an amazing final two years here at Eastern.”
Finally, when expressing her gratitude towards her tenure as a Yellowjacket, Taylor experienced the old adage of iron sharpening iron, as she took on the best the SCC had to offer nightly alongside tremendous mentors and teammates.
“East Haven was definitely an enjoyable experience; we were always a contender in the SCC and to go on a good run in states,” says Taylor. “I had great teammates and coaches there. Playing tough teams and players makes you better, and I carried that experience over here to Eastern. If I did not play at East Haven, I would not be where I am today.”