NEWBURYPORT — More than 4,400 miles from its now-destroyed gymnasium in Kyiv, Ukraine, the Club MOBI U-16 girls’ basketball team entered Newburyport High School on Tuesday with the home crowd enthusiastically on its side.
Bright yellow “Go Ukraine” and “Go MOBI” signs hung from the walls alongside Ukrainian flags. Collages with images from their travels were scattered at the school. Fans cheered from the maroon bleachers and reminded them that, although nothing could replace their true home, this was a safe haven.
Club MOBI has been displaced in Latvia since the war began. The team fled Ukraine with two of its coaches as the city was attacked, and players have remained separated from their families for a year and a half. Some are as young as 13.
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“It’s hard, because you don’t understand where your home is,” said Anastasija Bojarchuk, a 15-year-old MOBI forward, through a translator.
Club MOBI earned a hard-fought win, 49-43, over Newburyport on the court. Dariia Serednitska, a 15-year-old rising star, led the visitors with 17 points, helping MOBI pull away in the fourth after trailing, 21-19, at halftime and, 33-32, through three.
Recent graduate Emma Foley fueled Newburyport with 18 points and Deirdre McElhinney added 7. Ukraine started the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to seize command.
But what happened off the court was far more significant.
Before the game, both sides stood at center court for their respective national anthems. Club MOBI supporters carried around their baby blue team banner with their mascot proudly and prominently displayed — a menacing ice cream cone with a scowl and a cherry on top.
MOBI players sported bright blue jerseys that read “#Stand With Ukraine” on the front and back.
Ukrainian players gave the Newburyport players Kyiv magnets to show their appreciation. Newburyport players cheered loudly as the Ukrainian players ran through a tunnel created by Newburyport Girls Basketball Association youth players.
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Locals are raising money to support the team.
“It was really great how the community showed up, making signs, and filling the stands,” said Newburyport coach Karen Grutchfield. “Newburyport is great about these things. They rally, they support each other, and they support good causes.”
Suffolk University professor and Newburyport resident Lauren Hajjar, Ukrainian American Youth Association board member Terry Reid, youth coaches Ray Felts and Shawn Fenn, and many more collaborated to make it possible.
Club MOBI enjoyed a duck boat tour, visits to Revere Beach and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, among other attractions, while in Massachusetts. The club has scrimmaged six teams and relished the opportunity to travel, and its players are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support.
“It’s quite hard,” said 16-year-old guard Anna Dziun, referring to the war’s impact on her country, family, school, and team. “We used to play in our own gym, in front of our fans, with our parents close to us. We hope that soon it will end and we will return home.”
The Newburyport players were thrilled to welcome Club MOBI and inspired by their resilience and mental fortitude.
“It was just really amazing,” said rising senior Olivia McDonald. “After hearing about their story, it’s truly incredible that they came here.”
Grutchfield, who officiated the game, was thrilled to share such a powerful experience with her team and Ukraine’s players and coaches.
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“I just feel so sad for them,” Grutchfield said. “I hope our kids are appreciative of all the things that they have. We live such charmed lives. I was just stunned by what they’ve been through and not being able to go home. I hope our kids got something out of that.”
Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com.