The Phoenix Fall Short of Ultimate Goal

Trailing by six points with a minute and 30 seconds left in the game, the Phoenix, Stuyvesant’s girls’ varsity basketball team, were on the verge of a breakthrough bucket that would elevate them past Hillcrest High School and into the second round of the playoffs. Senior and captain Talia Kirschenbaum took the post feed and looked at the rim, envisioning the bucket that would send the stands going wild. Momentum was growing. She looked at the basket and shot a contested layup that bounced harmlessly off the rim and sealed the team’s loss, season, and fate.

Hillcrest High School defeated Stuyvesant 41-36 in the first round of the PSAL Class A playoffs on Monday afternoon. Senior and captain Alexandra Archer led the way for Stuyvesant, having scored 10 points and finishing just one rebound shy of a double-double. Her psychological impact cannot be underestimated, as she forced opposing players to dribble out of the paint when they saw that she was ready to block a shot. All in all, however, it was a quiet offensive night for the Phoenix. The team had just two players who scored more than five points and only one finish in double figures. Their three-point shooting was off-color, and the shot clock seemed to be a factor in every possession. Despite their attacking woes, the Phoenix played solid defense throughout the game, holding Hillcrest to only 41 points. Ultimately, it was their lackluster offensive execution down the stretch that condemned them to their defeat.

After being asked about whether he would change the way he managed the last crucial minutes of the game, coach Vincent Miller remarked on the attitude of his players. “I thought they were a little nervous…I want them to shoot with confidence,” he said. As the time dwindled down, no one took the initiative to make the big play that would complete the comeback. They were timid in their drives to the basket, and they executed sloppily. Archer added on to her coach’s statements and said that “the players lacked intensity and could have played harder in order to overcome the halftime deficit.”

A common theme throughout the team’s losses is its struggles against man- to-man defense. “We struggle to make ourselves available,” Archer said. Stuyvesant’s stagnant offense has been a staple of their losses in recent weeks. Against Millenium—Stuyvesant’s last loss in league play—the Phoenix struggled to move without the ball, finding open looks from both outside and inside of the paint.

This loss marked the end of an era for the Phoenix. They will see four players graduate this spring. Archer and Kirshenbaum, the leading scorers for the Phoenix this year, are a tough loss for next year’s team. In addition, seniors Britni Canale and Kaitlyn Duong will be missed, as they were solid contributors off the bench as well as huge morale boosters at games.

However, the future looks bright with two freshmen. “[I’m] looking to build around them in the coming years,” coach Miller said. Point guard Allison Chan averaged five points, 3.7 rebounds, and over five assists in her first year in a Phoenix uniform. Next year, she will look to become more of a scoring threat as opposed to her primary role as a facilitator this season. In addition, Paige Wolfing played significant minutes off the bench this year, averaging 4.3 points per game. She will only see her role expand in the coming years.

This loss marked the end of a successful 2019 campaign that saw Stuyvesant go 9-5 and finish second in the division. The Phoenix will certainly be victims of lots of attrition, but the will also have many valuable young players to build around in the future. The Phoenix will rise from the ashes stronger than ever.