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Winter 2007/2008 : 2nd Edition
Basketball Season has ARRIVED!

By: The Barnabas Bear

            Forget the New York Knicks (which is pretty easy to do nowadays) as the real story around these parts of town is the Varsity Basketball team for St. Barnabas High School. After a very strong Fall sports season, which included playoff appearances for BOTH the soccer and volleyball teams, the basketball team takes center-stage, and this
bear couldn't be happier!

            The team this year is coached by Roger Murphy, who has many years of experience coaching in the Woodlawn area. St. Barnabas is
very happy to have him on their roster of coaches! Led by Senior Evan Murphy and Juniors Alyssa McFadden and Jessica Finn, the Varsity
team has opened its season participating in the Byram Hills Pre-Season Tournament, which the team won last season. On Thursday, November 29th, the team played its first game of the tournament and won the
game 60-45, with Evan scoring 31 points! Wow, now that is impressive.

 THE 2007-2008 TEAM

Senior Evan Murphy
Ev is just an over-all great athlete, period! She's a star softball, soccer and basketball player. Evan led the Varsity team last year at the point, and she does so again in her final year at SBHS. Evan is a master basketball player who is fearless in her approach to the game. Evan is
one of the best defenders in the league… Oh, and that is A Division. Actually, Evan is one of the best players…if not THE best player in
the league this year! She scored 31 in the opening game this season,
and she may score like that all year. Evan has an uncanny ability to
read defenses, and she can get to the hoop whenever she wants, posing major problems for the opposition.

Senior Michelle Mullen
MM provides stability under the hoop, able to rebound with a presence around the basket. Michelle, at this point, has participated in just about everything there is to do here at the school. I mean, this bear would
have trouble keeping up with her!! An experienced basketball player,
the key to her season is to stay out of foul trouble (if you see Michelle, remind her of this). The Bears need her on the court as much as
possible, as she is a strong rebounder who can score as well.

Senior Stephanie Chiarucci
Steph provides help off the bench if any player gets into foul trouble. Having already played during her Freshmen year, Stephanie gives the team some depth in the "Experience" category. Stephanie has a good touch 10-12 feet from the basket and can handle the ball.

Junior Alyssa McFadden
Let's say this: Alyssa is a gggrrreeat basketball player. She was beset by injuries last year, but when she was on the floor, she excelled.
McFadden has a natural ability to read the ball off the rim, making her one of the best rebounders the school has seen. As a matter of fact, Alyssa has a ton of natural ability to play this game: she can shoot, dribble, rebound, defend, and drive to the hoop with the best of 'em.
At any given moment, Alyssa can take over the game. She can score 20, 25 points on any given night. Rumor has it she may have even beaten
this bear once in a one-on-one, but I can't seem to remember that.

Junior Jessica Finn
…SWISH… J-Finn is playing her third season at the school and will be
a major factor this season. She can shoot with anyone in the league,
often going on streaks from behind the three-point line. Jessica has
a great touch on her shot, and can shoot under pressure. An experienced ball-player, Finn can also dribble, rebound and defend well. You'll usually find her setting up, waiting for the pass… Watch out for J-Finn as she's about to shoot another three…

Junior Julia Cuffy
Julia is playing her third season as a Basketball Bear. Julia has the potential to have break-out season with both her physical skills and mental approach to the game. Cuffy has been honing her game for
a couple of years, and the results are starting to show. She's already
a very good basketball player, with positive ratings in her shooting,
ball-handling, passing and defensive skills.

Junior Sade Francis
Sade is also a Junior, playing her first season on the basketball team. Have you seen how quick Sade is? Not many have…that's how fast
she's moving. I couldn't even finish her last name, Francis, on her
title-line! Although somewhat new to the game, Sade is a natural
athlete who will be a defensive force this season.

Sophomore Elaina D'Andrea
Elaina is playing her second season for the Barnabas Bears after helping to lead the J.V. team last year. D'Andrea is both quick and smart as a player, and her ability to maintain speed while dribbling makes her an important factor off the bench. She can usually nullify a press-defense
by cutting through defenders down the court. Elaina can also become
hot from behind the three-point line!

Sophomore Gabrielle Francis
Gabrielle provides some much needed height to the team, boosting the team's ability to control the "paint.” Gabby, as she's known around SBHS, is a naturally-gifted basketball player with the potential to
change the game. The sky's-the-limit for this Sophomore, because
Gabby can already score, rebound, and defend.

Freshmen Chelsea Matias and Amanda Ramirez give hope for the future as young students of the Varsity game. Since I haven't seen them play yet, I can't really say too much about them.

NEWS ARCHIVE: 2007