The Cranston East girls’ basketball team shouldn’t settle for just being the best in Division II.

The ’Bolts currently sit at No. 1 in the state power rankings and at 11-0 are almost locked in to at least a top-2 seed in the D-II playoffs. They are also fresh off a 52-33 trouncing of second-place Chariho (8-2). The Chargers have only lost twice this year, both times to East.

“We’re just going to let our game do the talking,” East junior shooting guard McKenzie Richards said. “Do our thing. Stay humble.”

Watching the ’Bolts play, though, suggests that they can not only capture a D-II crown, but make a run at the state championship. They have numerous ways to beat the competition, and outplaying them for 32 minutes is difficult to do.

The ’Bolts did lose to St. Mary’s and Cranston West, both Division I teams, in non-league action earlier this season, but they’ve ripped off nine straight wins since then. The team is on a roll, and the weapons it possesses can make it a nightmare to face in the state bracket.

East begins down low with sophomore center Maia Caito, who, at 6-foot-4, poses a mismatch against just about every D-II team. Caito has led the ’Bolts in scoring four games in a row and a team-high six times this season. She averages 13.9 points per league game, and is working on her jump shot to become more lethal against opposing defenses.

“My main focus is to just go up strong,” Caito said. “A lot of times I get the pass from McKenzie inside and if I feel a double team it comes right back out. Once I’m confident enough that, if they play man on me, I’m just going to the hole. Working on improving my shot a little bit. Trying to extend my range from just the post.”

Junior point guard Sarah Coutu can cause damage all over the court. Not only has Coutu led the ’Bolts in scoring on four occasions (13.2 PPG), she plays lockdown defense and dishes the ball down under when she finds an open look.

“The point guard’s position is to make everybody else better,” Coutu said after the win over Chariho. “I made the bench better, and it’s just a team effort.”

An example of her dynamic ability was her performance against Chariho. Coutu was held scoreless but still had seven steals and held Chariho’s leading scorer Kaitlyn Cuddy to just two made field goals.

Richards (9.1 PPG) gives the ’Bolts a sharpshooter, too. Richards plays tough defense, but is most notable for her long-range expertise. She has had at least four 3-pointers, including one of the best single-player outputs of the year against East Providence on Jan. 4. Richards sunk five 3-pointers and had 23 total points to lead East over the Townies, 66-39.

“It’s one of my main working points,” Richards said of her 3-point shooting. “I’ve always been working on my shooting more. I need to drive more to the basket, which is what I’m working on, but we’re just trying to stay humble and work hard every day to make our goals come true.”

East’s most important X-factor, though, is senior Kyla DePina. DePina is the only senior starter on the ’Bolts, and her leadership is integral to their success. She’s also able to light up the stat sheet on occasion, averaging 7.9 points per league contest and scoring at least eight points nine times.

“I try to talk a lot and get the girls pumped,” DePina said. “If I see someone down, I try to lift their spirits up. ‘Keep your head in the game.’ We’re trying to put a banner up. We’re just trying to go far, and it starts with being patient. Defense is our main focus right now, and just playing together. Being unselfish.”

Despite having four consistent scorers, defense is perhaps East’s calling card. It has yet to allow a league team to surpass 50 points. In five of its last six games, East has held opponents to 35 points or fewer.

Forward Tatyana Correia could be another key heading down the stretch. Not only can she make her presence known at the rim on the defensive side, but she can get to it on the other end, too. Her 4.5 PPG are deceiving, especially considering her 10-point performance in a 44-22 win over Prout.

The recent bevy of blowouts has also allowed the ’Bolts to get some experience in for bench players such as Chantal Duran and Shayna Cousineau. With more game time now, the reserves can make their impact felt if needed down the road in the playoffs.

In order to capture the D-II crown, though, the ’Bolts might have to exact some vengeance. The other top contender is D-II-North’s Moses Brown, which is also currently undefeated heading into a Tuesday matchup with St. Raphael’s.

The Quakers knocked the ’Bolts out of the D-II quarterfinals last season with a 60-53 overtime victory. If the two sides were to meet again, Caito would have her hands full with fellow sophomore Oluchi Ezemma. Ezemma leads the Quakers with 21 points per game.

The ’Bolts have yet to be contained for a full game, and that is what makes them so dangerous. They’ve played poor halves, turned the ball over often and gone cold from the field, but their ability to regroup might be the best in the division; maybe the state.

“We have a great point guard, we have a big, we have a shooter,” DePina said. “We just have everything. I think we’re going to go far.”

The same goes for Moses Brown, which sits at third in the state power rankings.

It’s a long road ahead for East, but its dominance thus far should make the opposition sweat heading into a matchup against one of the state’s most balanced squads.

“We started off as underdogs, we started off as 1-21 [two years ago], but slowly we’ve been making our way up,” Coutu said.