Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Senior Jenna Egbe scored 17 points as the Westport girls basketball team crushed Case 54-38 in a non-league game on Thursday night. The win evened the Wildcats record at 1-1. Egby the Wildcats’ tall, lengthy center was impressive, scoring most of her points driving strong to the hoop and putting back rebounds. She also pulled down 16 boards defensively.
Jenna played awesome,” said Westport head coach Jen Gargiulo. “Her composure improved. She’s got great hands and has been very disciplined under the hoop. I was very impressed with her tonight.”
Egbe’s play got the Wildcats off to a great start in the first quarter. Westport stormed the basket, sank 3-pointers and ran off to a whopping 22-5 lead. Egbe scored 7 points, sophomore guard Kylie Hazel sank two 3-pointers. Zoey Sylvain netted 4 points, Julia George buried a 3-pointer and Molly Costa scored 2 off the bench. The guards also did a great job dishing the ball to Egbe down on the post.
The Wildcats scored 11 more in the second quarter for a 33-9 halftime lead. They scored 21 points in the second half and held off Case as they attempted a futile a comeback.
“We had balanced scoring and played excellent defense,” said Coach Gargiulo. “Our four senior captains are stepping up and leading the team. I’m really proud of them.”
Westport, who lost three starters last year in Korynne Holden, Sarah Perry and Meghan Molloy, have bolstered their lineup for the 2024-25 season.
“We had a lot of growth this week,” Coach Garguilo said. “We are still trying to find our chemistry. What’s nice about this group is they really want to come together as a team and play well.”
Sophomore Skylar Rezendes, who was injured in their first game, will start at forward when healthy, along side Egbe with guards Julia George, Tess Silvia, Kylie Hazel and Zoey Sylvain.
Rezendes is a prolific scorer, rebounder and playmaker. She was injured in Westport’s 48-33 loss to St. John Paul II and is game to game going forward. She was seen shooting threes after the girls practice on Tuesday night.
“Skylar had a great game for us against St. John Paul,” she said. “She’ll be out for a bit with an injury. That’s said, she’s an excellent leader off the court as well.”
George, a senior, gained momentum last season and has developed into a strong player for the Wildcats. She scored 10 points against Case and dished out 5 assists.
Silvia, a senior, is the Wildcats most aggressive defender. Silvia and George both girls soccer players, are in terrific shape to dog opponents into turnovers and make steals.
Sophomore Kylie Hazel continues to develop in all facets of the game. She drained three 3-pointers against Case and added a pair of fast-break layups.
Sylvain, a volleyball player, is the younger sister of former 1000 point scorer Leah Sylvain. She has come back to the team after a long hiatus and has given the Wildcats a huge shot in the arm. The senior is skilled, game savvy and can run the point, shoot from the outside and drive to the hoop. She scored 9 points during the game against Case and led the team in assists with six.
“It’s great to have her back,” Coach Gargiulo said. “She has excellent basketball IQ and she is probably the hardest worker at practice.”
The Wildcats also have a few players that can come off the bench and contribute in Molly Costa, a junior forward, who will help defensively and Sophia Rego, a freshman guard, who shows a lot of potential and sophomore guard Alexis Vieira.
“I’m very lucky to have four focused senior captains to help with the team,” said Coach Gargiulo.
Those four leaders are Egby, George, Silvia and Sylvain.
“Our JV team is young and it’s nice to have upperclassmen who help set the tone for the team. As the season progresses, we’ll continue to improve and build our chemistry. And we’re hoping as the season goes on, we’ll see great things.”
Westport Scoring:
Jenna Egbe scored 17 points, Kylie Hazel scored 14 points, Julia George scored 10 points, Zoey Sylvain scored 9 points, Molly Costa scored 2 points and Tess Silvia scored 1.