Coming out of winter break the varsity girls’ basketball team looked to continue their prior success. With more than five positive COVID cases, the team was shut down for the entirety of the break, with no practices or games. 

The girls faced off against rival Churchill at home on Jan. 6. Fans were not allowed to attend the contest due to COVID protocol. Churchill dominated the entire game, playing a fast paced offensive game and applying a lot of pressure on defense. The game finished in a 32-58 loss.

The girls traveled to Walter Johnson on Jan. 8 to face off against the Wildcats for the second time this season. Senior star shooting guard Caitlyn Kwan scored a career-high 34 points, hitting 11 three pointers in the 69-42 blowout victory. Kwan tied the school record for points in a game. “What I love about this team is that we are so unselfish. We are always looking for the next pass and the better shot,” Kwan said.

The team played at BCC on Jan. 10. BCC has a stacked roster with two college committed players. Both teams fought hard, but the girls came up short, falling 50-52 to the Barons.

The girls faced off against Magruder at home on Jan. 12, looking to get back in the win column after a tough loss. They cruised to an impressive 67-7 victory. “All of the girls got lots of playing time and we worked well together,” junior point guard Kaitlin Mariani said.

The girls traveled to Richard Montgomery on Jan. 14. They continued the momentum from their last victory, starting the game off strong with an early lead. Richard Montgomery hit tough shots and played strong defense, keeping the game within reach. The game was close until the end, but the girls squeezed by with a 41-39 victory.

The girls played against Kennedy at home on Jan. 18. All of the girls contributed to the 61-23 victory.

The girls’ practices have been especially intense after getting back from the COVID pause. “We always want to practice the way we play so we try to imitate game situations as much as we can,” Kwan said.

Repetition in practice translates to success in games. Kwan’s shooting ability in game comes from tons of reps in practice everyday. “Every practice before a game we get about 400-500 shots up,” Kwan said.

The girls have set high expectations for the team, and so far they have lived up to them with a 7-2 record thus far. “At the beginning of the season we sat down and talked about our goals. One of mine was to reach the division finals. After playing with this team for about two months now, I think we could go even farther than that,” Kwan said.

The team plays against Northwood this Friday at home. No fans are allowed, but the game will be streamed online.