The varsity girls’ basketball team fought the Leander Lions for their Senior Night in a high scoring game and came out with the win, 66-32. The parents of the athletes decorated the gym with orange and white balloons, dedicated to the graduating seniors, Annalise Galliguez, Meghan Booknis, Jaslyn Williams, and Kooper Giles.

“The girls pushed the ball in transition and they also pressure the ball when [Leander] was bringing it up the court,” assistant  coach Jamie Coy said.

The first quarter started well when Galliguez quickly stole the ball from the Lions and successfully made a fast break, claiming the first points of the night. The Lady Warriors began with an aggressive full court defense, which prevented the Lions from scoring until three minutes in. Both teams showed strong defensive skills, not opening opportunities to let each other score. Peyton Halley ‘21 and Emma Zion ‘21 bumped up the Lady Warriors’ lead, 12-8, before the first quarter ended.

Captain Anisha Chintala ‘21 showed polished skills by scoring a variety of points off of layups and free throws in the second quarter. Staying aggressive, Galliguez frequently stole the ball away from the Lions. Leander tried to use their bonus as an advantage to decrease the margin but the Lady Warriors stepped up their shooting game, with Caroline Hand ‘22 and Desi Davalos ‘22 making multiple baskets. The Lady Warriors stayed up 33-14 before they headed to the locker rooms for halftime.

During the third quarter, Giles scored off the backboard, already pulling the momentum to the Warriors side. Chintala, Galliguez, and Mahogany Wright ‘23 bursted with power to increase the Warriors advantage and hyping up the crowd. The third quarter ended with the Lady Warriors still clutching on the lead 48-23.

The Lady Warriors scored right off the bat of the fourth quarter with strong teamwork and stable communication. The Lions missed their chance to build momentum as they continued to miss multiple free throws. Chintala, still full of energy, scored a heavy fast break through the Lions’ defense. Wasting time on the clock, the Warriors passed the ball back and forward and ran at a slow pace. The Lions did not have enough time to catch up, and the Warriors won their last game with a final score of 66-32.

The girls’ varsity basketball team has officially ended their season.

“It doesn’t feel real that this was our last game, it all happened in the blink of an eye. I loved this team a lot and it’s sad that I won’t ever play with them again and I won’t be ever playing here again,” Galliguez said. “I’m always going to remember that I played for Westwood.”