The girls’ basketball team is now at a 2-3 record after the win against Layton Christian on December 10th with a final score of, 54-21. The team’s leading scorer, Kaitlin Toluono, had 26 points, with Katie Burgess at 8 and Maizy Burbank at 7. It was a fantastic win considering that Layton Christian Academy had an average score of 60 points per game. The girls’ basketball team definitely held them down.  Before the Warriors face the tough new region, they face Orem on Tuesday, December 15 at Orem.

The team has a few new coaches and assistants for this year. Sophomore coach, Coach Campbell, is new this year. “With over 15 years of experience coaching youth basketball teams, my philosophy is to focus on fundamental skill development, teamwork, and personal effort, while translating basketball work ethic into lessons for success in life,” he shares on the Warriors; blog. The team’s assistant coach, Coach Paloukos, use to be an athlete for the girl’s head coach, Jodi Lee, several years back. As a sophomore, she tied a state record for most points scored in a quarter with 23 points. The girls basketball team has also added a new member to the staff, Sarah Baron. She is a Murray alumni who has always loved the game and was willing to share her skills to help the team. “This is my third season as the JV coach and I love it. Before coaching I played here at Taylorsville under Coach Hymas for four years.” Coach Balmforth says.

There’s been a few injuries with players on the team that have caused them to sit out for a while. Junior Varsity player, Mari Hasebi shares, “I broke my nose in practice while guarding one of my teammates. She was dribbling the ball and accidentally elbowed me in the face. I’m out for a few weeks, but I still love going to practices and games to cheer on the team. I look forward to getting back and playing the game I love with my best friends!” Varsity player, Cami Toeun says, “I hurt my knee during the first quarter of the Layton Christian game. I don’t know the status of my knee yet, but I’ll get it checked soon. It sucks, but I will still be there to support my team.” Another JV player, Lexi Brown shares, “I may have torn my meniscus and sprained my MCL, but that won’t stop me from being part of the team! I love going and watching my fellow teammates kick butt on the court and hopefully soon I’ll be able to join them and do so as well!”

“I am so excited about this season. We have scheduled a tough preseason to prepare us for one of the toughest regions in the state. We have lost a couple close, hard fought battles but we are improving every day and we’re excited about the progress we are seeing.” head coach, Jodi Lee continues, “I love being a coach at Taylorsville for so many reasons but the two that really stand out are the players and the other coaches and administration. I get to work every day with a group of girls that not only work hard but make me laugh and smile daily. I also love the administrations and their constant support and encouragement.” The girls’ basketball team are continually progressing each day in practice with their goal to make state.