Ben Murphy
Sports Scene
Near the mid-point of the season, all signs point to the Midland Chemics girls’ basketball team picking up where they left off last season.
A year ago the Chemics went 23-2, winning the school’s first regional title, and this year, the Chemics have gone 9-1, with their lone loss coming to Detroit Country Day. They are 3-0 in the Saginaw Valley League prior to press time and got another huge victory over previously unbeaten St. Johns earlier this month.
“I feel that my team has done a great job this year of taking teams out of their presses, containing key players, and controlling the boards,” head coach Elaine Mahabir said. “I think [the high expectations] have actually helped my team stay focused. We consistently remind each other that our goals are not that of many high school basketball teams, and we have to work hard and execute to meet our goals.”
The injury bug has caused havoc on Mahabir’s roster so far this year, with her squad playing with as few as eight players at times.
“As a team we need to stay committed to the importance of having depth on our team,” she said. “We need to continue to push the younger players and make sure everyone is ready and understands their role on the team.”
One pivotal moment came on December 21, when the Chemics upended defending SVL champion Midland Dow 61-34.
Seniors Maura McAfee and Jennifer Jarema led the charge, scoring 16 and 10 points, respectively.
“McAfee and Jarema have done a great job scoring for us, as well as both are becoming vocal senior leaders that are so nice to have on the floor,” Mahabir said. “Sophomore Jessica Walter continues to pick teams apart with her superior ball handling. She really does a nice job of running our offensive front.”
As March Madness looms, Mahabir has a few things she would like to see in her team.
“I hope to see them step up for our big non-conference games we have on our schedule as well as continue to put emphasis on our SVL games,” she said. “With almost half of the season complete, I think it is important that they are getting more comfortable with each other on the floor and ready to go.”