Slowly but surely, the pieces are coming together for The Sharon Academy girls basketball team.
On Thursday, the Phoenix were close to a dramatic comeback that would tie them with their highest win total since the program’s 2023-24 revival with many games to spare, but couldn’t quite finish the rally.
TSA fell 37-34 to visiting Mill River on a foggy night by the banks of the White River.
Trailing 35-29 with just over two minutes to play, Sharon sliced the lead to just one, but gave up a final bucket and missed a pair of solid looks from beyond the arc in the final 30 seconds to fall to 3-4 on the year.
“I think we had a tough third quarter, where we sort of let our guard down and that’s where things sort of got out of our control,” Sharon coach Jen Tewksbury said post game. “Fought really nicely to get back, but we were just too far… I think the girls did a really nice job in a tough situation to be in and we haven’t ever been in that. It’s a good learning experience.”
In terms of learning, it’s truly a ground-up process.
Since the program returned to competing at the varsity level in 2023-24, Tewksbury’s players have a maximum of three years of varsity experience, and five players on the 13-girl roster have no experience playing organized basketball.
“I have five returning players and five new-to-basketball players, so trying to find that balance with them… it’s early in the season and we’ve been coming together nicely,” said Tewksbury.
Leading the returners is Tewksbury’s daughter, point guard Ava Lacaillade. The senior was active on both ends and led all scorers with 17 points, including a steal and breakaway with 90 seconds to go that cut the deficit to just a point. She scored nine points in the second quarter as Sharon built a 20-17 halftime advantage.
Eighth grader Sierra Lecuyer gave Sharon a major lift with eight points, including a pair of big three pointers that kept the Phoenix within striking distance in the third and fourth quarters.
“We just taught soccer players how to play basketball. They’re really good athletes, they work hard and they’re coachable,” said Tewksbury.
Those lessons are slowly paying off at a program that’s historically struggled. Sharon has never won more than 12 games in a season or finished higher than sixth in a division. And went a combined 5-35 in the two prior campaigns.
Having already won three games this season, optimism and camaraderie is high.
“It was amazing because today, they decided what they wanted to do for offense and defense,” Tewksbury said. “They’re developing that basketball mind, and I’m just really proud of them.”
Sharon travels to Long Trail on Monday.