On Tuesday, Jan. 15, the varsity girls’ basketball team faced off against the Hendrickson Hawks in an intense game that ultimately resulted in a loss for the Lady Warriors. Despite the team putting up a fierce fight, the game ended 74-50.

“The game was a rough loss, but I think we all worked really hard preparing,” Oni Boodoo ‘19 said. “I think we could have done better, but I think we all tried our best.”

In the first quarter, two two-pointers from Kenzie Beckham ‘21 provided a strong start for the Warriors, however their initial lead was temporarily taken over by the Hawks after a foul that brought the score up to 6-4. Boodoo was quick to match Hendrickson with a two-pointer at 6-6, but a three-point shot from the Hawks put them ahead 9-6. Nethertheless, Makayla Coy ‘19 scored three points for the team to lessen the Hawks’ increasing lead to a score of 9-15. A foul committed by the opponents landed the Warriors an extra two points, but the quarter ended 19-11 in the Hawk’s favor.

“We’ve had some tough competition but I think we’ve pushed through,” Anisha Chintala ‘21 said. “We play hard and we’re a really good team and have good teamwork.”

A three-pointer from Hendrickson started the second quarter, pulling them further ahead to 22-11, but Beckham didn’t give up and quickly scored a two-pointer. The Warriors grabbed three points later in the game from free throws that set the score at 27-16, but these would be the only points earned on the team’s behalf for the remainder of the quarter. Regardless of the Hawks continuously growing their lead, Danielle Davalos ‘19 and Chintala worked hard to turn over the ball at any chance they got. The first half of the game ended 35-16 in Hendrickson’s favor.

“I think that we started kind of slow and went in too confident,” Davalos said. “It just caused us to get off to a slow start.”

A two-pointer from Coy began the second half with high spirits from the crowd, and pushed the score to 35-18. Throughout the quarter, Coy executed three other successful shots: one two-pointer and two three-pointers. Assists from Davalos also helped close the gap between the Warriors and the Hawks. Despite this effort, the team still couldn’t seem to shake the Hawk’s success, and the quarter ended 45-31.

“Makayla Coy came out [in] the second half and really picked it up on the line. She worked hard to connect for the teammates as well as finish up on the basket.” Assistant Coach Jennifer Scazzero said.

The last quarter was a fast-paced race to victory, headed by Hendrickson’s strong start on offense. Coy once again made the Warriors’ first shot, bringing the score to 57-33. Annalise Galliguez ‘20 made her first three-pointer of the game after an assist from Beckham, who also successfully executed three baskets. Even with the team beginning to find their rhythm, the girls couldn’t catch up to Hendrickson, and the game unfortunately ended 74-50.

“Our goal for next game is to pick up our intensity and go in with that passion to win, that strive to be successful and get after them.” Coach Scazzero said.

The Warriors will play against the Vista Ridge Raiders on Friday Jan. 18.