Coming off a rebuilding season last year, varsity girls’ basketball has entered the season with high expectations and believe hard work and team chemistry will allow them to succeed.
The girls’ season ended last year after a close regional semi-final defeat to Sherwood by just seven points. They were proud of the season they were able to have despite it feeling like a rebuilding season focused on improving and creating chemistry.
They credit some of their success to the bonds and cohesion they were able to build as a team. The players will look to replicate the strong communication they had last year. “The chemistry of the team last year was unmatched, which definitely played a role in our success,” junior Megan Lomotan said.
However, they maintain the belief that they still have room to improve on the previous season. “I think we can improve this year and we are always looking to get better,” Lomotan said.
The expectation the girls have set on themselves this year is to achieve a winning record and to make a deep playoff run in the postseason. “This year, I think everyone has gotten better, so I am looking forward to playoffs again,” junior Maya Bellamy said.
The team is looking to focus on the basics of basketball and believe that will allow them to create a strong team. “We are really going to need to focus on perfecting the fundamentals the best we can,” Bellamy said.
Hard work, as usual, will be essential to achieve the team’s ambitious hopes. “The key to success would be to be determined to put in 100% effort the whole season,” Lomotan said.
Many of the athletes play other sports in the offseason but are fully dedicated to basketball during the winter, which should allow them to reach their goals. “Since most of us play many sports, we are going to need to lock in during preseason,” Bellamy said.
The sisterhood created by the team does not go unnoticed by the players. They find themselves supporting each other both on and off the court. “The type of community we have built as a team is that we act like family towards one another,” senior and captain Maddy Mathew said.
The hopes are also high for JV, who has proved that they are a strong group of athletes. Players have voiced their respect for the coaches, who are a large factor in whether a team can have a successful season. “We had a great turnout at tryouts, and both coaches are great,” Bellamy said.
The number of seniors lost each year can have a big impact on how successful a team is. Since the team lost only three seniors, players believe they have a better chance of being a strong team this year. “I have high hopes for us this season since we did not lose many seniors,” Bellamy said.
The varsity team lost their two preseason scrimmages to Oakdale and Poolesville, but were able to bounce back with a homeopening 59-27 win against Magruder on Dec. 5. They hope to extend their record to 2-0 with a win against Richard Montgomery on Dec. 10.
