With eight of his 11 players either freshmen or sophomores, Winthrop High girls head coach Dave Nagle knew it might take some time before the team would begin to reach its potential.
However, a 45-40 victory over a previously undefeated Gloucester squad is an indication that the Lady Vikings could make some noise in the NEC this season. Captain Abby Belcher (who shares the captaincy duties with fellow senior Laura Berenger) scored 14 points, as did junior center Johnna Fisher, who missed almost all of last season with a knee injury.
A 41-40 win over Saugus, in which Belcher sank the winning bucket with three seconds to play, reversed a one point loss to the Lady Sachems in the opening game of the season.
“The girls are working hard to improve and are eager to learn,†said Nagel, who cited Lauren LoPresti, Angelina Favolaro, and Alyssa Mackey as three of his underclassmen who have been making an impact. “We’re getting better and better with each game and hopefully it will pay off with some victories.â€
Nagle and his crew took on Lynn Classical this past Tuesday and will host Salem Friday evening.