The future of Oxford girls basketball looks to be in good hands as this year’s Freshman team went undefeated this season.
In their final game of the season, the girls defeated Holly 37-7 to cap off the perfect record.
‘The girls had a great season,? said Freshman Head Coach Sally King. ‘It was definitely something to build off from.?
‘I think that it’s tremendous,? said Oxford High School Athletic Director Mike Watson. ‘Going 19-0 is a great accomplishment and something that the girls are going to remember for a long time.?
Watson could not confirm at this time if this was the first team at any level of high school girls basketball to go undefeated during a season.
King contributes their undefeated season to their improvement on ball-handling, the ability to see the floor and the strong play of Maddy Line, Miranda Murphy and Meagan Neff on offense, and Riley Hayes and Courtnee Sellers constant defense pressure on opposing ballhandlers .
‘Maddy Line is our point guard and runs the floor very nice, Miranda Murphy is excellent at attacking the basket and rebounding, and both Riley Hayes and Courtnee Sellers are very quick and anticipate passes very well,? said King.
In each game, a different player stepped up and contributed to the perfect record.
‘It takes all 11 of us to win every game and when all 11 of us come out and play hard, we’re a great team,? she said.
King said that she realized that the team had a chance to go undefeated after they played their tenth game of the season.
She stated that the toughest competition during the season came from Brandon.
‘They were about the same caliber as us. They matched up size wise the same, and talent wise they were the same. They were almost a mirror image of us,? she said.
According to King, the biggest challenge of the season was to keep her girls motivated and improving during practice in the second half of the season.
Even with all of the success this season, King noted that the girls needed to continue to improve because they are moving into a new conference next season with all new teams to play each and every night.
‘Each of the players understand that they had a great season, but they also understand that they must keep practicing and improving,? King said. ‘So by them understanding this it is half the battle to improvement.?
She said that this season was great for the program because it allows for the girls to strive to get better individually and as a team. ‘So having that success will keep them hungry and keep them coming back,? she added.
Watson echoed her sentiments, saying that it could inspire young girls to take up the sport of basketball.
‘Anytime you can inspire them to want to participate in sports, particularly basketball in this case, it is really nothing but positive,? he said.
This was King’s third season coaching freshman basketball for Oxford.
‘This season was a lot of fun for me to coach. The girls were great to be around each and every day, and they had one of the best work ethics as a team (one) could find. They all helped each other when one got down on themselves to bring them back up,? she said.
She added that each player improved throughout the season and she believed that they would continue to grow and improve over the next three seasons.
At the end of the game, the parents of the players presented Coach King and the members of the basketball team with a trophy and a plaque, much to the surprise of King.
‘That was awesome…right now it’s on display in the main office for all to see,? she said.