The team has been riding a roller coaster of a season, and with playoffs sneaking up behind them it’s vital that they put in the proper preparations in order to pursue a deep playoff run. The season has been solid so far with ups and downs all around, but the girls remain positive with an 10-9 overall record.
Following their defeat at Whitman on Jan. 13, the girls hosted Walter Johnson four days later where they were able to salvage a tight 57-54 win against a tough Wildcat team.
Only two days later, on Jan. 19, the team had another home game against Bethesda Chevy Chase. Despite the girls’ best efforts, they fell to the Barons, 47-34. After a tough loss, the team traveled to Wheaton only four days later. Everything seemed to be clicking this game as the girls’ domianted and won 64-34.
The next game appeared to be a good practice for the team as they faced one of the weaker teams in the county. The one-sided scoreboard against Einstein on Jan. 25 showed how dominant the Patriots can be. The girls came out with a whopping 72-17 win over the Titans. “This was a very easy matchup so it allowed us to play our game and express ourselves a bit,” senior forward Shannon Welty said.
At this point the girls were standing strong with a 10-6 overall record, and they looked to add to that going into their second meeting with rival Churchill on Jan. 27. This time, the Patriots were hosting the Bulldogs, with home court advantage likely to play a role in the game.
The game was intense with the lead constantly changing, but ultimately the Bulldogs were able to gain the lead and maintain it for the rest of the game. In the end, the team fell to their rivals, a tough loss. “It’s never a good thing to lose to Churchill,” senior power forward Emma Weinstein said. “But we looked to bounce back like usual.”
Next came a close road game against Richard Montgomery on Jan. 31, but in the end the girls were defeated 65-52 by the Rockets.
The team’s most recent game was important, not just because it was a chance to end their losing streak, but it was also a fundraiser for the daughter of a coach who beat cancer five years ago.
The team performed to impress and came out with a big win over Rockville on Feb. 7. It was a high scoring game for some of the players as they were constantly looking to score. Welty led the team with 13 points, while junior guard Katie Gilick was close behind adding 11 to the Patriots’ score. Things were also going well on the defensive side of things as senior center Kiana Johnson controlled the boards, grabbing a total of 10 rebounds on the night.
It also proved to be a physical game as one of the girls, junior Chrystal Bridge, was elbowed in the face by one of Rockville’s players and sent to the hospital. Bridge had to get stiches and will most likely to miss the next game. The final score of the game was 57-31.
The Patriots’ next game was on Feb. 10, where they took on the undefeated Whitman girls for the second time. After a defeat to Whitman earlier in the season, the girls’ came out seeking revenge but they unfortunately lost to the Vikings again, this time 65-40. The girls’ statrted off slow, giving up 15 points in the first quarter. They made a strong comeback in the second quarter, and went into halftime down by 2. However, things got ugly in the third quarter. The team started the half cold and gave up 18 points, while only scoring 5. Their comeback bid failed, as they gave up 22 points in the fourth quarter, while only scoring 12. Whitman dominated from the start and they never gave the Patriots a chance. Their next game was against Gaithersburg on Feb. 14, too late to be covered in this issue.
Alex Bellot
Sports Editor
