The defending section champion Rye girls basketball team entered the season with high expectations, and has lived up to them so far with two dominant road wins.
A 56-21 victory Tuesday at Eastchester and a 61-44 win Thursday at Harrison give the Garnets a 2-0 start to league play.
Freshman Charlotte Storz, who played key minutes for Rye’s varsity as an eighth grader, reached double figures in both games, including a game-high 17 points against the Huskies. She had 11 points and four steals in the opener against Eastchester.
“She’s very, very talented, so we’re excited for her year,” Rye coach Margo Hackett said. “She works so hard — all she does is play basketball.”
Phoebe Greto is the Garnets’ leading scorer through two games, showing why she was chosen as a co-captain along with fellow senior Paige Tepedino. Greto logged a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds against Eastchester, surpassing the Eagles’ entire team point total by herself. She then followed it up with 14 points against Harrison.
Junior Frankie Chiaravelle has given Rye a third consistent double-digit scorer, with 10 points in both wins. She also filled the stat sheet with six rebounds and three steals in the opener.
Sophomore Stella Maresca, another varsity returner, added 12 points against Harrison. With the majority of her squad returning — eight out of 13 players — Hackett is confident her team can continue to play at this level throughout the regular season and into another long postseason.
“We are off to a great start and building off the experience of our returning players,” Hackett said. “We’re excited to keep the momentum going.”
Defensive intensity was one hallmark of Rye’s team that went 21-4 a year ago, and the guards have already shown an ability to jump into passing lanes this season. Senior Annie Toulouse had eight steals against Eastchester, helping to hold the Eagles to just 21 points.
The Garnets open their home schedule against the same two opponents. Rye plays Eastchester at 7 tonight, then hosts Harrison at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
