Lady Patriots basketball has eyes on more success this winter

By Dom Nicastro

The Revere High School girls basketball team embarks on a new season under the guidance of second-year Coach Ariana Rivera. Expectations are high following last year’s 14-6 record and a shared Greater Boston League championship. Despite a tough exit in the Division 1 state tournament against Durfee, the team is poised for success.

Opening their season with a decisive 42-27 victory against Everett, the Patriots showcased their potential. Freshman Allyson Oliveira stood out by scoring 17 points. Coach Rivera noted Oliveira’s significant contribution, saying, “It was a big game for her,” Rivera said. “She’s very polished. She plays AAU year-round, which is awesome, but her basketball IQ is top-tier as a freshman. Her poise, composure. She just has a lot of basketball IQ and court awareness, so she’s a pretty solid 3-point shooter as well.”

The team also features strong leadership from senior captains Belma Velic, Lea Doucette and Marwa Riad, each bringing unique skills to the floor. Rivera described the leadership qualities of Riad, saying, “Marwa is very vocal in terms of off the court. She’s a very good leader. Kind of makes sure everyone’s on the same page. We like to call her the hype woman because regardless of if she starts, if she comes off the bench, she brings very good energy.”

Velic, known for her rebounding prowess, plays a central role.

“She played well against Everett. Rebounding-wise, she always does her job,” Rivera said. “She didn’t put up a ton of numbers as far as points, but she kind of gets our offense going, especially with Allyson, she works well with her kind of sucking the defense in and then being able to kick it out for her shot.”

Junior Shayna Smith is going to fall back into a role as a power forward rather than a guard, which is more what she was last year.

“She’s taken a little time to adjust into that old position that she was her freshman year, but I think she’s happy to be there again,” Rivera said. “She an aggressive player. She likes to play down low, gets in there with rebounds. It definitely helps generate a lot of points for us.”

The season, however, is not without its challenges. Kri Ruiz, a promising senior transfer who was handling point guard duties, suffered a broken finger, throwing a wrench into the team dynamics. Rivera described her initial impact and subsequent injury.

“She was running point for us, and she played well,” Rivera said. “It’s kind of TBD, but she broke her finger, so she may or may not need surgery on that.”

Furthermore, sophomore Sarah Leccheb’s possible torn ACL injury during the same Everett game adds to the team’s adversities.

“Sarah Leccheb, she might have torn her ACL, so we’re struggling once again to find a true point guard, but we’ll overcome the adversity as always,” Rivera said.