Not to say every game is not important, but some games just have a little more meaning than others.
Whether it is the transition from the preseason to the regular season or the regular season to the postseason, games can take on a new meaning at a certain calendar date. Recently, that happened for the Silver Lake girls basketball team (4-3) as they hit the point in their schedule with more league games.
Coming up, the Lakers will face Plymouth North (January 13), Duxbury (January 20), Scituate (January 24), Whitman-Hanson (January 27) and Plymouth South (January 31). The league games have an extra meaning because teams who win their league are guaranteed a tournament spot — although many teams who win their league will have at least the 10 wins necessary for a spot anyways.
In their league action thus far, the Lakers have played well.
In their January 3 win over North Quincy where they outscored their foe, the Red Raiders, 50-40, there was not one standout scorer, but — like it has been for the entire season — a number of players played a major role in win. Three players — Alyssa Nelson, Syd Kehoe, and Holly Reeder-Morning shouldered most of the scoring effort against the Red Raiders, combining for 39 of the team’s 50 points. Nelson led the team with 14 points while Kehoe added 13 points and Reeder-Morning put up an additional 12 points.
It is worth noting Reeder-Morning is a freshman this year and already, she has established herself as someone who receives significant playing time and is a major contributor to the team.
Speaking of youth, the Lakers are one of the younger varsity basketball programs around. Certainly, that helps their chances of future success. There are just four seniors on their varsity roster this season — captain Maddie Gillan, Olivia Macomber, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, Emily Critch and Nina Whidden. Even though the Lakers will be losing quality basketball players, they are fortunate to not be losing more players than they are — as they did last season.
The Lakers next home game is Wednesday, Jan. 24, against Scituate.