Westbrook’s Basketball Squads Earn Splits on the Week
Girls’ Basketball
The Westbrook girls’ basketball team split a pair of decisions in Shoreline Conference action last week to move to 2-2 on the season. The Knights took a loss against Old Lyme, before bouncing back with a victory against North Branford later in the week.
On Dec. 18, Westbrook hosted Old Lyme and dropped a 39-29 decision versus the Wildcats. The low-scoring contest was the result of strong defense and rough nights on offense for both squads. Senior Gabby Ehlert scored 12 points for the Knights, while fellow senior Savannah Marshall had 10 points in the defeat.
Head Coach Kelly Landino was impressed by the defensive effort of her club. Westbrook’s offense was never able to get going, but the game remained close due to some solid play from the Knights on the defensive end of the floor.
“It was a close game with Old Lyme and, unfortunately, we shot poorly. It was one of those nights that just nothing went in,” Landino said. “I was proud of our defense. They kept us in the game, but we couldn’t put points on the board in the last quarter.”
Two days later, Westbrook picked up its second win of the season by defeating North Branford 48-42 in a home game. The Knights played a tight matchup against the Thunderbirds as the score was tied at 21-21 heading into the second half. Following a late push in the fourth quarter, Westbrook walked off the floor with the win.
Marshall had a big night by recording a double-double on 24 points with 13 rebounds in the winning effort. She also had five steals. Ehlert scored 11 points, and fellow senior Kelly Donlan chipped in with six points for the Knights.
Coach Landino was pleased with the way her team responded after losing to Old Lyme earlier in the week. Landino felt most proud about how Westbrook played a solid fourth quarter to put away the game and level its record heading into the holidays.
“I am very proud of my girls. We played tough, and we played as a team tonight. We stayed positive and focused on what we can control, and we stayed together,” said Landino. “We made some halftime adjustments and followed the game-plan. Our goal was to be 2-2 before the holiday break, and we accomplished that.”
Boys’ Basketball
The Knights played a pair of road games last week, coming away with a win and a loss. Westbrook is now 2-1 in the early goings of the winter season.
On Dec. 17, the Knights headed to Old Lyme, where they dropped a 81-65 decision against the Wildcats. Three days later, Westbrook scored a 64-47 win in a road contest against North Branford.