Palomar women’s basketball team secured first place in the conference and a berth into this year’s playoffs, but their season’s success and playoff strategy comes down to one word: defense.
Even when beating their opponents by large margins the Comets continue to play at a high intensity level, keeping the oppositions field shooting to under 27 percent in conference play. However, they have learned that for their defense to be properly executed, they have to work hard together as a team and family.
Sophomore Lynnzy Troxell is the team’s rebound leader and has grasped that it doesn’t come easy. She and the rest of the team have to come prepared every practice and game to be successful in their playoff pursuit.
“The key way the Comets play is our defense,” sophomore Lynnzy Troxell said. “We always trap, and we are always the team that flies around and gets in the gaps. We are just everywhere on the court all the time.”
During the team’s pre-playoff practice, they were hustling, exerting energy, and pushing each other to do better. They were in the middle of shooting drills and you could hear the players supporting and encouraging one another.
“We are always taught to work hard at practice,” Troxell said. “You have to work for your spot. That’s kind of just how it is here at Palomar; you’re not just given a spot, you got to work for it.”
Coach Leigh Marshall explained that their team fights different individual battles in each game. If they win the battles, they win the game.
“It’s about ourselves getting better every game, it’s not necessarily about our opponents or score,” Coach Marshall said. “It’s about executing and playing hard. We measure against ourselves really.”
Assistant Coach Chris Kroesch agreed on using goals to measure themselves as a team instead of the scoreboard. Compared to this time last year, both Marshall and Kroesch agree that their team is deeper and they can rely on a lot more players.
“We have a deep roster, so all of our girls play,” Kroesch said. “They understand if they’re slacking off or not focused they are coming out [of the game]. In reality all the girls want to play so they do a good job with that.”
Roshell Lamug, points leader, and Chelse Ayala, assists leader, say they work well together as guards on and off the court. They have built a strong connection that will help them lead their team in the playoffs.
“We are the conductors on the court, we are the energy starters,” Lamug said. “We are the generals of the army so we direct where people go. We direct speed and pace.”
“We both have the same basketball IQ, we get along well, so it helps us play better on the court,” Ayala said.
But it’s not just the hard work and defense that the players put into the game; it’s the family they have built. During their practice, one player had to do street sweepers, a variation of suicide sprints, as all the other players cheered her on. Then, without being told to, two other teammates joined in. Then seven players were doing street sweepers. Ending with 11 players all participating when they didn’t have to.
They did it because they are a team. They are a family.
“We love each other to death. Running blood, sweat and tears into practice,” Lamug said. “It’s all going to be worth it because we are doing it for each other.”
