YORK, Pa. – Jennifer Kaye walked over to her Coaches Choice Brooklyn team after a loss to Outcast in the Blue Chip USA Invitational in York, Pa. on Friday and accepted the blame for the defeat.
“Guys, it’s my fault we lost,” she told them.
Kaye, however, did score 25 points, including 14 in a rousing second-half comeback.
“I didn’t play as great as I should have in the first half,” Kaye explained. “I went 2-for-8 from the foul line. That would have been a very good contribution.”
The 6-foot, rising sophomore forward is still very much a work in progress, but has shown promising upside. The physical Kaye is quick and adept with a drop step and spin move on the block. She moves well for her size and uses her body like a crash dummy, diving for loose balls. She helped lead Kearney’s junior varsity to the CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Division II championship last season, scoring 26 points in the title game.
“She is going to be a big part of the program for the next three years,” said Coaches Choice and Kearney JV coach Nick Crimeni. “We have her for three years and we definitely need to take advantage of that as far as I am concerned.”
Taking her game to the next level means working on conditioning, moving and contributing without the ball and trusting the backboard more, Crimeni said. Kaye’s jump shot and free throw shooting will need to improve for her continued emergence, but she is willing to put in the work. She expects to contribute on the varsity next season.
“It’s better competition,” Kaye said. “I feel like if I play with girls who are just as good as me, it’s not going to help me as much. Playing with girls that are better than me, it will make me improve more.”
Recruiting notes: St. Joseph Hill forward Kelsey Carey has interest from Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell, Fairfield and Wagner, according to NYC Heat coach Kevin White. … Curtis sharpshooter Kristen Olsen has already taken unofficial visits to Bryant and Assumption and has interest from Stony Brook, Connecticut College and Washington College, she said. … Molloy star Carolyn Gallagher is getting looks from the Ivy League, with Harvard and Columbia showing the most interest, along with Lehigh and Quinnipiac, NYC Bulldogs coach Tom Catalanotto said.
Warriors bounce back at USJN Premier Invitational: After dropping its opener Thursday, the Lady Warriors won both of its games Saturday at the USJN Primer Invitational in Ohio. They beat the Kansas City Eclipse, 57-36, in their first game of the day with CK’s Kristen Drogsler scoring 24 points. In the nightcap, it took down the Dakota Shock, 51-41, behind 18 more points from Drogsler, a rising junior.