WJ girls’ basketball fell to the Whitman Vikings 51-29 on Friday, Jan. 5, and routed the Northwood Gladiators 53-13 on Monday, Jan. 8 to begin their new year.

Coming off winter break, the Cats had two days to prepare for the Walt Whitman Vikings. The Cats held a record of 4-3 coming into the matchup.

In their two previous games before winter break, a loss to the B-CC Barons (57-31) and a win against the Wootton Patriots (49-48), the Cats were pushing for an important win.

After losing to the Vikings, the Cats had to regain momentum in order to beat their next opponent.

The Cats moved on to have a solid lead the whole game against the Northwood Gladiators. During this game, the Cats got multiple foul shots due to the aggressive Gladiator defense. Two players fouled out of the game within the first half, but because they had no subs, the Gladiators were only playing with three players, ending the game after the first half.

Because of this abrupt end, the Cats got to keep their lead, giving them a win. This game also allowed head coach Christopher Donlon to put in players that he doesn’t usually play.

“The game being cut short should not affect the upcoming game, we’ve had enough practice time to prepare and get ready,” Donlon said.

The Wildcats get another chance for a win in their next game against the Churchill Bulldogs on Friday, Jan. 12.

“I think we can beat Churchill if we play together as a team and work together. We are learning their plays including their offense and defense, so we are ready for anything they throw at us during the game,” senior captain Maggie Cullen-Ising said.