Barbot twins helped build St. Mary's girls basketball into powerhouse

Players from St. Mary's High School pose with their championship plaques following their victory over Nichols High School in the girls basketball state CHSAA finals at Fordham University, Saturday, March 11, 2023 in the Bronx , New York. St. Mary's won the state championship 66 to 49. Photo/ Louis Lanzano Credit: Louis Lanzano
Taylor Barbot and Taryn Barbot couldn’t have imagined what their next four years of playing basketball would look like when enrolling in St. Mary’s as freshmen for the 2019-2020 school year.
The Barbot twins were pivotal toward St. Mary’s winning three CHSAA titles in four years. Before joining St. Mary’s, the concept of a state title may as well have been a different language.
“I barely knew what a state championship was,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know about Federations; it was all new to me.”
It didn’t stay new for long.
St. Mary’s won the league title in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the state tournament. But the Gaels won back-to-back state CHSAA 'AA' crowns in their junior and senior seasons when St. Mary’s defeated Nichols School (Buffalo), 66-49, at Fordham University on March 11.
The Barbot twins, along with seniors Tara Murray and Cayla Williams, were crucial toward building the program into a consistent title contender.
“We saw what Coach [Kevin White] was building and we wanted to be a part of something like that,” Taylor said. “We saw the culture and we just thought that would be something great for us to be a part of.”
“Those four are the ones who came in, the foundation was laid a little bit and they helped develop it and they helped build it,” White said. “They are going to be missed.”
White remembers the first time he saw the Barbots as seventh-graders in a CYO game. It didn’t take long to see their potential.
“You could tell from an early age they came from a tight-knit close family and they worked hard,” White said. “You could tell they were going to get better. You could just see it.”
And their basketball chemistry won’t end in high school. The two guards will play at College of Charleston next year.
They understand the rare opportunity they have to go to school and continue their playing careers at the Division I level. They’ve had the blessing and curse of constantly having an elite player to train with at a moment’s notice. Some of their countless 1-on-1 games or training drills challenge the limits of healthy competition.

Taylor Barbot and Taryn Barbot.
“We always push each other. Sometimes things may get heated but at the end of the day, we both know we just want to push and better each other,” Taylor said. “At the end of the day, it’s all love.”
It’s made both of them better athletes, especially during COVID-19 shutdowns. Not many girls share a home with another future Division I player.
“A lot of people just have to work out by themselves,” Taylor said. “It’s great to have someone to work out with because although we all push ourselves, when someone else pushes you, it helps a lot more.”
The Barbots remember playing in largely empty gymnasiums when they first arrived at St. Mary’s. Now their winning ways have brought the attention of their classmates and other players from around Long Island.
“I feel like we brought attention to the school,” said Taryn, who scored a career-high 42 points in her final game, a loss in the state Federation title game. “And now, more people know who we are.”