By KEN HAMWEY

Staff Sports Writer

When Oryx Cohen became the head coach of the Natick High girls basketball team last year, he said there would be some time needed to rebuild a squad that didn’t qualify for the playoffs after it finished 5-14. 

When his second season got underway in December, Cohen said that his team “was ready to make a splash.’’

The splash he predicted has been far-reaching because many of the Redhawks’ opponents are drying themselves off. At Local Town Pages deadline, Natick was 8-2 and beating teams by an average of 30 points. The Redhawks were also No. 4 in the Division 1 power rankings.

“The objectives we listed in the pre-season were to qualify for the tourney and go as deep as possible, win the Carey Division championship, and for all players to pay attention to detail and work hard in every practice and game to keep improving,’’ Cohen emphasized.

As far as the splash goes, it’s mission accomplished.

But, if the present trend is to continue, Natick’s 12 players must rely on a plethora of strengths that Cohen admires.

“We’ve got experience and depth,’’ he said. “We lost only three seniors and we’ve got eight returnees. As for depth, we can go 10 deep. Our players have a high basketball IQ, are strong defensively, they’re athletic, coachable, have size and are well-skilled. Our team chemistry also is strong.’’

The 51-year-old Cohen also likes his squad’s senior leadership and he’ll get that commodity from all four of his senior captains. They include Olivia Penn (point guard), Sammy Collins (center), Kira Henderson (guard) and Addie Robie (guard).

“Olivia is a four-year veteran and a three-year starter,’’ Cohen noted. “At 5-9 she’s got good size. She can rebound, drive to the hoop and get assists. An effective facilitator, her court sense is excellent and she’s developed a good scoring touch. A leader by example, she’s also can be vocal. She’ll be playing soccer at Northeastern University in the fall. At the halfway mark, she’s averaging 6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals a game.’’

Collins is a 6-foot-1 center whose style combines leading by example and being vocal. “Sammy can rebound and block shots,’’ Cohen said. “A very good passer, she’s always hustling. She can score and is effective driving and cutting and will be playing college lacrosse at Bates.’’

Henderson is a vocal leader while Robie leads by example.

“Kira is one of our top defensive players,’’ Cohen offered. “She gets offensive rebounds and is quick getting to a loose ball. She was the recipient of our Hustle Player of the Year Award last season. The leader last year in steals with five a game, she’s got speed and quickness. Physically strong, Kira can finish her drives and can shoot threes. She’ll be playing college soccer at Montclair State in the fall.

“Addie is a solid all-around player. Often at the right place at the right time, she can drive, finish and knock down shots. Always hustling, she’s very strong on defense.’’

Another senior guard, Christina Lopas, gets high praise for her versatility. “Christina is out best three-point shooter,’’ he said. “She can finish well and is a sneaky defensive player who can disrupt an opposing team’s offense.’’

Katie McMahon, a 5-foot-11 forward/center, is the team’s only junior. “Katie is very athletic, can drive and finish in the paint,’’ Cohen said. “A solid rebounder, she also blocks shots and is strong defensively. She’s averaging 7 points and 7 rebounds a game.’’

Two very competitive sophomores are 5-10 forward Bridget Pole and point guard Lily Downing.

“Bridget is athletic and strong in transition,’’ Cohen said. “She can drive and score on mid-range or three-point shots, putting pressure on defenses. She also was chosen to compete in the Eastern Mass. Showcase game that features future college prospects. She’s averaging 12 points a game. Lily probably is our best ball-handler. She’s got a quick first step, making it tough to guard her. She also can pass, shoot threes and get steals by playing strong defense.’’

Sophomore guard Denai Williams and freshman Kayla Dunlap, a 5-foot-11 forward, provide quality depth.

“Denai has a high hoop IQ, plays year-round and is one of the fastest players on the team,’’ Cohen said. “She can score by driving or shooting mid-range and threes. She’s also aggressive on defense. Kayla is athletic, a three-level scorer who can take it to the hoop and a tremendous defensive player who’ll block shots, crash the boards and get put-backs. She’s averaging 13 points a game.’’

Rounding out the roster are two top-notch future prospects — sophomore Meghan Pole, a 5-foot-9 forward, and point guard CC Curan. 

“Meghan is an all-around player who gives us length, is a good shooter, and provides  us with height going forward,’’ Cohen offered. “CC also is an all-around competitor who’s got a high hoop IQ. She’s one of our guards of the future.’’

Cohen’s staff of assistants includes Brian Twomey (freshmen), Kyle Flannery (jayvees) and Chet Smith and Sunni Beville (varsity assistants). “We’ve got a dedicated group of experienced coaches who work well with the players,’’ Cohen said.

 Cohen’s goals for his second year at Natick’s helm are realistic and attainable. A playoff date is inevitable and winning the Carey Division is very realistic since Natick has a two-game lead over Framingham. “Wellesley is the defending champs, Framingham has some key returnees and tradition and Newton North is talented and well-coached,’’ Cohen notes.

Rebuilding has been achieved and making a splash is a reality. Why the turn-around has occurred so quickly can be attributed to what occurred last summer.

“The girls participated in strength and conditioning drills and competed in the Franklin Summer League,’’ Cohen emphasized. “The summer league featured some of the state’s top squads (Bishop Feehan, Medfield, Foxboro and Franklin) but our team won the title. Plus, eight of our 12 players competed at the club level.’’

The ingredients for success are all prevalent and the NHS girls basketball team is getting positive results because of its dedication, devotion and desire.