INSPIRING HOPE: Princeton Day School girls’ basketball player Hope Anhut looks to pass the ball in a game last winter. Junior guard Anhut should provide stability in the backcourt for PDS this season. The Panthers, who opened the season by going 0-2 at the Hill School (Pa.) tournament last weekend, will look to get on the winning track as they play at the Pennington School on December 10 and at Stuart Country Day on December 15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Although the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team started the season by absorbing two lopsided losses last weekend at the Hill School (Pa.) tournament, Kamau Bailey saw progress.

“In the first game, I think nerves got the best of them,” said second-year PDS head coach Bailey, whose team fell 51-22 to Springside Chestnut Hill on Friday in the opening round of the tourney and then lost 51-24 to Hill in a consolation game on Saturday.

“We played a lot better in the second game. It gave me an idea of what we need to work on. We need to get back to fundamentals. We made 21 turnovers against Hill so we have to work on protecting the ball and making good decisions. We are still learning to play with each other, it is a new group of girls and we are starting over in terms of chemistry.”

Bailey is relying on sophomore point guard Shayla Stevenson to play well. “Shayla is looking great, she worked hard over the summer to develop her skills,” said Bailey.

“She is shooting better and is going to the basket. There is less pressure on her, there are a few more options this year and she has more trust in her teammates.”

The addition of two key freshman teammates, Bridget Kane, the daughter of longtime Lawrenceville School boys’ hoops coach Ron Kane, and Ryan Robinson, gives PDS two good options in the backcourt.

“Kane is the daughter of the coach and you can see that,” said Bailey. “She takes after her father, she has been around basketball for a long time. She is a great shooter, she is very quick and she is hard-nosed. She just has to develop her court awareness. Robinson brings speed and athleticism. She needs to diversify her ball-handling a little bit. We have a nice foundation of players with basketball experience.”

Freshman Grace Barbara, a star soccer goalie who helped PDS win the state Prep B title this fall, is providing some hard-nosed play and athleticism.

“Grace is the fastest person on the team, she goes end line to end line faster than anybody else,” said Bailey, who will also be using juniors Hope Anhut and Jacquelyn Hart at guard.

“It is about getting her speed under control. Once she does, she will be unstoppable. As a goalie, she tracks that ball. We are taking soccer skills to the basketball court. She gets in passing lanes.”

In the frontcourt, PHS boasts some skilled performers in juniors Isabel Meyercord and Helen Healey along with newcomers Madison Coyne and Kathryn Bennett.

“Isabel is hurt right now but she should be back in a few weeks; she has been to every practice so she is keeping up with what we are doing,” said Bailey.

“She had some great games last year, she had 30 points in one game. Healey has gotten a lot better. She is an amazing kid and I like having her on the team. She has worked hard and has developed an outside shot even though she plays in the post. She said her goal was to make a 3 and she hit one in the first game so she already accomplished her season goal. Coyne and Bennett are good perimeter players who can also play down low.”

Bailey believes the Panthers can accomplish a lot this winter. “One of the keys to success with this particular group is to get them to stay in the game and stay focused,” said Bailey, whose team plays at the Pennington School on December 10 and at Stuart Country Day on December 15.

“We are going to go against some teams that beat us up badly last year and we can’t think about that. It is a new team with a new look and we can get different results. The other teams are going to be expecting the same thing so I said let’s surprise them. The theme of the season is surprise.”