By S. Quinn DeJoy and J. Murrer

Jan. 13, 2016:  Last Friday was fan night for the Bronco girls' basketball team. The players gathered to pose for photos and sign autographs for their young fans and then delighted the crowd with a 57-45 win over Putnam Valley. Junior Natalie Kister was the high scorer with 18 points, seventh-grader Brook Tatarian scored 11, and junior Ellie Walsh scored 10.

The Broncos are on a roll this season and have opened with nine wins and just two losses. This week they face some stiff league competition. Today the girls play Ardsley, the Section 1 runner-up last year, and on Friday evening they play at home against the Woodlands Falcons. The Falcons are ranked 8th in Section 1 for schools of all sizes and second in the state for Class B.

Bronxville plays in a very competitive league but also has a tough non-league schedule. Early in the season the team lost to Irvington, a team that has won four state championships in the last six years. The Broncos kept pace with the Bulldogs in the first half, trailing by only two, but Irvington went on to rally to a 46-27 victory.

Captain Maggie O'Reilly, a four-year varsity player, has been a big contributor and was named MVP at the annual Bill Greene tournament held in December. O'Reilly is joined by many younger talented and experienced players. Walsh and Kister, along with sophomore Ashley Kaye, are top scorers for the team, but everyone contributes.

"The best thing about this team," said Coach Donny Lucas, "is that on any given night any of the eleven players can lead the team in scoring."

The depth of talent may be the key to the Broncos' success this year, but experience also helps. Nearly half the team members are back for their third or fourth varsity season.

"The past few years, people have said how we've had such a young team and how we're going to be great in a few years," said O'Reilly. "Well, it's been a few years and we are not so young anymore!"

The team is definitely older but still has a relatively young roster. O'Reilly is the only senior on the team and is joined by juniors Walsh, Kister, Ally Schultz, Sophia Anagnostakis, Grace Stephens, sophomores Kaye, Nan Carpenter, and Allie Berkery, and seventh-grader Tatarian.

The Broncos are looking to improve on their .500 record from last year, and at the beginning of the season, they set some specific goals for themselves: finish top three in the league, host a home playoff game, and earn a spot in the sectional tournament final four at the County Center.

"As a team, our goal is to make it to the County Center," said O'Reilly. "The last team and possibly the only team to ever make it was my sister's in 2011, so it would be amazing if we could get back there."

The Broncos play away at Ardsley today but will return home on Friday evening to host a game against Woodlands at 6:15 pm.

Go Broncos. 

Pictured here (three rotating): The Bronxville girls' basketball team at fan night.

Photos by Matt Fisher