Returning from a week-long pause in the season, the girls’ basketball team faced Quince Orchard on Wednesday, Feb. 4, which resulted in a 32-28 win and the team’s record currently standing at 10-5. 

QO started off with the first few points on the board, but this only gave the Cats the push they needed to start getting into their groove. By the end of the second quarter and for the rest of the game, the Cats had a stable lead against the Cougars.

The Cats were all gas and no brakes, attacking with swift, dynamic passes that led to many opportunities for shots on QO’s net. Additionally, a disciplined defense allowed them to quickly switch the dynamic of the game and prevent many turnovers. This comes with the great chemistry and solid communication the team has strengthened throughout this season.

“Since we couldn’t practice for a week, we started off a little slow,” senior Emilia Starzyck said. “But we pulled through, stopped their runs, stayed composed and played really well as a team.” 

With the regular season already being more than halfway over, the Cats have been holding their own throughout the past few weeks. With high-scoring wins against Westminster, Damascus and Gaithersburg, the team has continued to prove their hard work and efficiency.

“I think so far our season’s been really good,” sophomore Ali Gandolfo said, “We’ve hit a couple bumps, but we’ve been doing well playing as a team. We started a little rough, but we’re definitely getting a lot better at it.” 

However, these positives have come with some challenges, as the Cats struggled in games against Clarksburg, Whitman and B-CC. These losses didn’t blow their spark, however, as they have continued to build more motivation for the last stretch of their season and take the right steps forward in their team routines.

“At practice, we obviously do things like shooting and layups for the fundamentals of basketball, but we also study film to watch ourselves and our opponents.” senior Elizabeth Martin said, “It helps show us what we’re doing wrong and helps us see what the other teams are doing.”

With post-season in mind, the Cats want to finish as strong as possible in order to be a true threat to the rest of their region. As of now, they are 3rd in their division, with the top three teams being Whitman, Churchill, and Wootton. Their ultimate goal is to come out on top and show the top teams that they are not to be underestimated. 

“We’re hoping to go far, and I know that we can,” Starzyck said. “We have a lot of great players and a really deep bench. I feel like we’re a really well-rounded team all together.”