By Jules Cantor, ’11, Sports Editor
Over the past four years, seniors Mariah Reed and Nichole Lowe have been fixtures in the CCDS girls basketball program. Both Reed and Lowe made the varsity basketball team their freshman year, and haven’t looked back since.
Reigning co-team MVPs and all-league selections, Reed and Lowe are poised to have excellent senior seasons. Fort the past 10 games, they certainly have not disappointed. The Indians have a record of 9-1, including a 33 point blowout victory over Seven Hills, a foe that up until Jan. 16, 2010, Lowe and Reed had never defeated.
Individually, both Lowe and Reed have both been standout performers. Reed, a dominating post presence, leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks while Lowe, one of the MVC’s quickest guards, sets the team’s pace in steals and assists.Lowe also shoots an uncanny 71% from three point range. To put it simply, Reed and Lowe are the perfect compliments to each other’s ability and style of play.
As Lowe explained, “Mariah and I have played together and even against each other for so long, even before high school. We’re both comfortable with how the other person plays and we know each other’s strengths. Because we’ve played together that long, we have a better connection on the court.”
This strong connection will certainly help the duo to achieve their goals for their senior season. Reed expressed a desire to “get [MVC] player of the year and make first team for basketball, along with winning the league and sectionals.”
Lowe expressed similar interests, explaining, “As an individual goal, I want to at least make second team all-conference. As a team goal I want us to win the league and win sectionals for the tournament.” If the Indians continue to win games at such a rapid pace, there is certainly no reason why Reed and Lowe can’t achieve these goals, or accomplish even more.
In addition, credit must be given where credit is due. And, in this case, it is certainly due to the supporting cast of the CCDS girls basketball team.
Junior forward Jamie Huelskamp is in large part to thank for the team’s success, due to her defensive ability. Huelskamp is often responsible for guarding the opponents’ best scorers, and offensively, she averages around 7 points per contest. Sophomore Ricci Snell is a prolific scorer, and is second only to Reed in points scored thus far. She put up 21 points in a game against St. Bernard, and averages around 10 points a game.
Sophomore Erica Armstead and freshman Cassie Sachs have also significantly contributed to the team’s success. When Reed, Lowe, and fellow senior Xanni Brown graduate, so will the unmatched leadership and passion that they bring to the game. Until then, it should be very exciting to see what this team can accomplish during Reed and Lowe’s last year on campus.
