Tigers celebrate senior leader, down Coventry 47-41
Story and photos by Richard W. Dionne, Jr.
Posted 2/9/26
Center Jah’niece Branch scored a team high 16 points as the Tiverton girls basketball team beat Coventry 47-41 during a Division 2 home game on Friday night. The second place Tigers have won eight …
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Tigers celebrate senior leader, down Coventry 47-41
Tigers celebrate their lone senior and co-captain, Jah'niece Branch, during a brief senior night celebration before their home game against Coventry on Friday night.
Tigers sharp shooter Cami Oliveira drains a 3-pointer in the second quarter.
Head coach Mike Brigham readies the team before their win over Coventry on Friday night.
Bea Pimentel looks to shoot during the game.
Bea Pimental (left) and Cami Oliveira vie for a loose ball with a Coventry player during the first half.
Bea Pimental (left) and Cami Oliveira vie for a loose ball with a Coventry player during the first half.
Brooke Sowa drives in for a layup in the first half.
Tigers forward Tori Murray looks to make a pass to Branch as she travels through the paint.
Tigers sharp shooter Cami Oliveira drains a 3-pointer in the second quarter.
Tiverton senior Jah'niece Branch celebrates with mom, Sirena Forrest, during a brief senior night celebration before their home game against Coventry on Friday night.
Posted
Center Jah’niece Branch scored a team high 16 points as the Tiverton girls basketball team beat Coventry 47-41 during a Division 2 home game on Friday night. The second place Tigers have won eight of their last ten and improved to 11-6 on the season. Before the game the Tigers celebrated Branch, their lone senior, during senior night.
“Jah’niece is a great basketball player and an even better person,” said Tigers head coach Mike Brigham. “She’s kind and unselfish, her teammates always come first. She is also very coachable and always trying to learn and grow. On the court, she anchors our team. The girls play with a lot of energy and emotion and she levels us off. She’s never too high or low, she just keeps working.”
“She's been playing basketball since elementary school” added her mom, Sirena Forrest. “She's just made me proud. She’s a great captain and leader. She’s very dedicated to the team and the girls over her.”
Branch took control under the basket scoring ten of her 16 points from the paint and point guard Cami Oliveira came out firing from the outside dropping a pair of 3-pointers and scoring all 12 of her points in the first half as the Tigers went into the locker room with a cushy 29-19 lead at halftime. Tori Murray scored eight, Sara Poland scored seven, Bea Pimentel and Brooklyn Correia each added two points.
Tiverton went up 41-26 in the third quarter before staving off a Coventry surge in the fourth. Branch scored six points in the second half. Poland drained a 3-pointer and scored five points and Murray went three of four from the foul-line and Pimentel added a pair of free throws as Coventry ran out of time.
“I’ll let you in on the secret to our success,” explained Coach Brigham. “I coached at the middle school before coaching at Tiverton High.”
He had all of the current Tigers at the middle school before coaching them in high school.
“We have an environment where they know I value their input,” he said. “Tori and Cami always give input on our game plans and give us in game suggestions. It makes things easier. They know what I expect at practice and in games. They have taken ownership of the team. It’s pretty special.”
