Undefeated. The Thomas Edison High School girls’ basketball team is 8 and 0 and headed for the playoffs.
Four straight divisional wins for this Jamaica-based team puts them at the top of the Queens B East division standings. Additionally, this victory handed Forest Hills their first defeat of the season on Friday, December 11.
“We have just been taking care of business,” said Edison’s first year coach, Jason Greenberg. “We are senior-heavy team . . . so we have the experience advantage,” he added.
Four out of five starters for the Inventors are seniors.
This team is not stacked with height – their center, Alexirain Bove-Domenech, is only 5-foot-8. But with diminished stature also comes a team with quickness and a determination to provide offense with sound team defense.
Against Forest Hills, the Lady Inventors lit it up with an outstanding 31-6 score at the end of the first half. After the break, Edison’s defense seemed half-hearted – it let the Lady Rangers cut into the lead and gave them a close match during the final minutes of the game.
Edison was outscored 20-12 in the second half, but pulled out the close win with some textbook boxing out on the defensive end of the court.
“Finishing teams off is one of the things that my team still needs to work on,” Greenberg said.
With her explosive speed and knack for distributing the ball, senior point guard Nikki Gloria leads the team on the hard-court. Her game has blossomed under the tutelage of her new coaching staff.
Despite Edison’s unbeaten record, Gloria did not think her team had the capability to dominate in the division.
“I suspected we would have a slow start to the seasons considering we were 9-9 last year,” said the 17-year-old senior. “We came in pumped for the new coach and it has worked out for us.”
This win against Forest Hills put them in good position for the playoffs.
“Beating the other undefeated team in our division . . . this was a real statement game for us,” Gloria said.
With more divisional play ahead of them, the Lady Inventors look to match up against Jamaica High School and The Scholars Academy in the next two games.
Photo Courtesy of Kelly Brown
The girl’s basketball team at Thomas Edison High School looks to continue their hot streak and stay undefeated.
