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01/09/2023 12:31 PMThe Old Saybrook girls’ basketball team is gaining the right type of experience, according to Head Coach Steve Woods. The Rams’ squad has no seniors, but a hot start to the season has placed Old Saybrook in the state playoff picture. Woods said his group is getting an education in building confidence.
“When I first started coaching, all the mentors I had said, ‘winning breeds winning,’ “ Woods said. “(Coaches) Bill Detrick and Scott Detrick and the guys I coached with right at the start always said, in order for kids to understand, they need to experience winning.”
As of Jan. 9, the Rams ran off seven wins in their first eight games. Teams need to complete the season with at least eight victories to qualify for the CIAC state tournament. With a young group, the coach said none of his players have participated in playoff basketball before, but may very well get that chance this season. Not only have they won seven of the first eight matchups, but they have also won six of their seven games by double-digits, collecting wins by an average of 18.7 points per contest.
Woods said his team has pleased him thus far, and sophomore standouts Kylie Lake in the post and Breleigh Cooke at guard have led the way. Woods said Lake, who is 6-feet tall, has displayed a commitment to improve each practice and game.
“She listens to everything, works on her game, tries to get everything down,” Woods said. “When we do our everyday drills, drop-step low and drop-step middle, up-and-unders, she really works on her game and both her right and left hand.”
He said Lake earned Most Valuable Player honors for her performance during a holiday tournament, which was capped off with a 39-34 victory over St. Bernard (Montville).
“She rebounds well, good offensive player, but the best thing about Kylie is that she’s a great student,” Woods said.
At the point guard position, Cooke has had an early education in running the team’s offense, according to Woods. The coach said last season, two of his guards decided to step away from basketball to focus on other sports. He said the vacancy enabled Cooke to play valuable minutes as a freshman and she’s continued to improve this season.
“Cooke was pushed right into the one spot (last season) and she’s solid,” Woods said. “She’s a good player, she’s a big guard, probably 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9. She’s talented and fearless.”
Woods said he’s made adjustments to his starting five occasionally, and he’s got a depth of talent with this group.
“Sanai Baker, she’s Vinny (Baker’s) daughter, she’s a good all around player and getting better all the time,” Woods said of Sanai, whose father was a four-time NBA All-Star. “Nora Kulman is a very good outside shooter, we really convinced Nora that she’s more than a 3-point shooter. She’s a good defender and she can go to the basket. Alexandra Ling is our other junior and she plays the two guard, but she can also play underneath the basket. She’s not that tall but she’s strong and smart.”
The Rams boast Ellie Pennington, Ayla D’Anna and Samantha Hanover off the bench, according to the coach. He said Pennington has played great defense this season, D’Anna will at times work her way into the starting lineup, and Hanover has been reliable backing up post players for Old Saybrook.
This group has some depth, solid post and guard play, confidence after picking up victories early on, and Woods said they have been willing to learn new strategies and plays on offense. He said this group has adapted well, even if at first they might resist strategic adjustments.
“They’re a little shocked at how much I’m asking them to learn,” Woods said. “We do a lot of different things and I’m trying not to complicate it too much, simple is better. I try to mix things up so we’re not too predictable, and they’ve really responded well.”
Woods said there is a method to his madness. As the season rolls on, tougher opponents await the Rams and are provided an opportunity to scout Old Saybrook. He said his team must be able to find success in different ways.
“They’ll go, ‘Coach our motion works so well,’ and I’ll say, ‘you’ve got to have a different look sometimes,’” Woods said.
And preparation is key whenever the Rams square off against the Morgan School, a team they faced earlier this week and could see during the Shoreline Conference Tournament. The Huskies are coached by none other than Woods’ daughter, Caitlin. He said his daughter always has his Rams scouted well. Woods said the first time the two met, he kept a secret from his daughter that helped him secure a tight victory over the Huskies.
“She’s still mad at me for the first game,” Woods said jokingly. “I had a girl that had missed pretty much the first half of the season and (Cailtin) had every player scouted, she had nicknames for all of (my players) that she gave her team, and then when we showed up at Morgan, she said ‘Dad, Maggie Smith’s in her uniform what is she doing? She’s not playing tonight is she?’ I go, ‘yeah,’ and she says, ‘Why didn’t you tell me that?’”
Woods said Smith had two crucial steals to wrap up the victory for the Rams. He praised his daughter’s coaching ability and said she’s excellent at keeping her team relaxed in clutch, late game situations. Woods said he never takes for granted the privilege of coaching against his daughter.
“It’s special every time we play,” he said. “It’s keeping the cards close to the vest.”
Woods’ son Kevin also coaches, leading the Valley Regional boys’ basketball team. Woods said his children becoming successful coaches has helped him as well.
“They help the old man a bit, too,” Woods said.
As Woods’ group looks to help themselves by wrapping up a state tournament spot early in the season, the coach said even if his team falls short, there is still something to gain.
“There’s a choice, you either win or you learn,” Woods said. “If you walk away sour, then you lose. The only losers are the ones who walk away and don’t do anything about not winning the game. You win or you learn. I think that’s resonating with this group.”
The Rams’ roster consists of juniors Nora Kulman, Sanai Baker, and Alexandra Ling, sophomores Ayla D’Anna, Samantha Hanover, Ellie Pennington, Lauren Kapp, Breleigh Cooke, Grace Desmond, Kylie Lake, and Madelyz Zhuno, and freshmen Olivia Stone, Dorothy-Ellen Ferraina, Olive Egbert, and Emma Courtright.