The FSDB Girls Basketball season officially tips off on Monday, November 15 against First Coast Christian. The team played in two pre-season games, winning against Middleburg High School, 44-39, and losing to Pedro Menendez High School, 45-52.
This year, the Lady Dragons have added a variety of new faces to the experienced group of players from last year’s team. With 11 total players on the roster, the team consists of four seniors, two juniors, four freshmen, and one 8th grader.
Seniors
Senior Point Guard Olivia Brown has led the team in points and assists the last three seasons and looks to make it four in a row. On top of her 16.0 points and 2.7 assists per game, Olivia averaged 5 steams and 1.7 rebounds per game last season. She is also 217 points away from reaching 1,000 points in her five-year career at FSDB.
Senior Forward Cassidy Dainty missed two seasons with an ACL tear in both knees. She made her return last year, averaging 3.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. This season, Cassidy is stronger and quicker with a fire to win.
Senior Forward Elsie Essex is an experienced basketball player. She struggled to rebound and shoot the ball last season, only averaging 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. This year Elsie will take a step up, helping in and of the paint. Like Cassidy, Elsie’s got fire. There is a trio of experienced seniors that will continue to provide leadership on the floor. There will be four seniors that contribute leadership, dedication, and commitment. Senior Forward Anna Lubosico has not played basketball since 2018. She is hard-working and eager to learn and play with her teammates.
Juniors
Junior Shooting Guard Oceana Brown will spend this season coming in off the bench and helping out on the scoring. She is participating in two competitive winter sports this year. It is marvelous that she is a dual-athlete! In the last two years, Oceana has averaged 7.1 points and 6 steals per game. She is a scoring threat behind the three-point line and fast-break opportunities. Junior Suheily Merced also did not play basketball for two years. She is aggressive on the defense and will play beside the starters on the wing.
Underclassmen
Freshmen Kayla Debrow and Ivabella Essex did not see much varsity action as 8th graders. Both girls are expected to have a more significant role this season. Kalya will be playing in the middle as the center. She averaged 5 rebounds last season. She is very tall but has the talent to play inside and out. She will also protect the paint on defense. If Kayla can reach her potential every game, she will see a boost to her numbers in points and rebounds. Shooting guard Ivabella Essex was fourth on the team with 2.3 steals per game. She is aggressive on defense and can drive to the basket, which will help with our offense. Incoming freshmen Juliana Diego and Dionni Quinzy will come off the bench when needed. They will work hard to learn, develop, practice, and improve their skills.
Finally, our sole 8th grader Hannah Alford adds another ball handler to the team. Playing Point Guard, she plays aggressive defense and will play closely with Kayla and Ivabella. This trio of young players could help create more offense and defense plays.
We look forward to beginning another great season! Go Dragons!
2020-21 Stats
pts=points, reb=rebounds, ast=assists, blk=blocks, stl=steals
Record
2020-2021: 3-1
* Ended season early due to the COVID-19
Team scoring (games, points scored)
4 Games
Total: 153 points
Average: 38.3 points
Team defense (games, points allowed)
4 Games
Total: 87 points
Average: 21.8 Points
Key Departed Players:
Lourdine Jordonne, Center, 8.75 pts, 9 reb, 2.75 stl
Ja’Myra Harris, Guard, 2.75 pts, 1.3 ast
Taria Pellicer, Guard, 2.3 pts, 3.25 reb, 1.5 stl
Keliah Williams, Forward, 2.3 pts, 5.3 reb, 1.0 ast
Key Returning Players:
Olivia Brown, Senior, Guard, 16.0 pts, 1.7 reb, 2.7 ast, 5.0 stl
Oceana Brown, Junior, Guard, 4.5 pts, 2.0 reb, 2.0 ast, 4.75 stl
Cassidy Dainty, Senior, Forward, 3.5 pts, 5.3 reb, 1 ast
Kayla Debrow, Freshman, Center, 5.0 reb, 1.0 ast, 1.5 blk
Elsie Essex, Senior, Forward, 1.3 pts, 1.7 reb
Ivabella Essex, Freshman, Guard, 1.0 reb, 2.3 stl
Key New Players:
Hannah Alford, 8th grade, Guard
Juliana Diego, Freshman, Guard
Anna Lubosico, Senior, Forward
Dionni Quinzy, Freshman, Forward
About FSDB
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind is a tuition-free state public school in historic St. Augustine, available to eligible pre-K and K-12 students who are deaf/hard of hearing, blind/visually impaired or deafblind. The FSDB experience gives students the edge to do more, be more, and achieve more, fulfilling our vision of preparing them for a lifetime of success. Early intervention and outreach services are also available throughout the state of Florida. Private donations help to support programs that directly benefit students which are not covered by state funds. To inquire about enrollment, contact Parent Services at 904-827-2212 or 904-201-4527 VP. To schedule a campus tour, contact Outreach Services at bit.ly/fsdbtours. For more information, visit fsdbk12.org.