Medgar Evers’ three best players transferred in the offseason, but the loss has translated into more wins.
The Cougars girls’ basketball team is off to a 3–3 start and has one fewer Public School Athletic League wins (3) than it had all of last year. And coach Mike Toro said the team could easily be 6–0 — Medgar Evers lost to Grand Street, Truman, and Kellenberg by a combined 12 points.
“At the end of the day, you want to compete and win games.” Toro said. “I’m happy that we are competing, and at least people know it’s not going to be like last year. We had those kids last year, and look, Grand Street blew us out.”
Last year, the Cougars’ roster was filled with high-profile talent, including Danielle Patterson, who is considered one of the top juniors in the country. She transferred to Mary Louis. Forward Kayla Hall is now at Nazareth, and guard Morgan Tuck left for International Management Group Academy in Florida. The remaining players have no hard feelings — they saw the departures as a challenges to prove they can win without top players.
“We kind of did take it as motivation, because a lot of people doubted us,” senior forward Alisia Machado said. “I believe that the three people that left don’t make the whole team. Everybody has something that they are good at.”
The team’s cohesion — and the addition of freshman point guard Brianna Randolph — has been a key to the early wins. Randolph’s potential is unquestioned. Toro has compared her as a freshman to Aaliyah Lewis, his former point guard at Bishop Ford who now starts for St. John’s University.
Randolph is averaging 10 points per game playing alongside senior guard Mikala Cashmir. The youngster nearly rallied the Cougars against Kellenberg on Dec. 19 at the Francis Lewis Winter Ball. She is still adjusting to playing organized basketball and not being the best player on the floor. Randolph’s defense and ability to make her teammates better still needs to improve.
“I was the best eighth-grade player in my school, so everything was handed to me,” Randolph said. “Now the things I have to work for are hard. Transitioning is a challenge.”
Her improvement could make Medgar Evers an even greater challenge to opponents as the season progresses. Machado, who is averaging 15.5 points and 10 rebound per contest, forms an imposing front line along with Iyobusa Eunator and Gabriella Moore.
Its a new group, and players are improving their communication and chemistry, so Toro is still tinkering with his lineups. And so Medgar Evers is off to a solid start despite the departed talent. But that doesn’t mean the Cougars are happy. If the team is going to keep itself in position to win, it will have to work hard.
“Now you got to find ways to win those games,” Toro said. “You hope as the experience come on by February and playoff time we wont lose these game. We will be mature enough to actually win.”
