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Working together, Co-Captain Theresa Bell ’26 and Bella D’Alessandro ’25 close in on the ball. Team chemistry was an important aspect of the team’s collaboration throughout the game. “We’ve really improved on talking with each other and trusting each other,” D’Alessandro said. “I think that comes over time, with team building and just hanging out with each other.”
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A referee catches the ball. The game finished more quickly than usual because the players committed less fouls, resulting in the referees stopping the timer less frequently.
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Using hand signals, Bella D’Alessandro communicates with her teammates. The Warriors struggled with their press break, but improved their defense from past games.
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Pursued by an opponent, Iman Xu ’28 approaches the Vista Ridge goal. Xu, along with the rest of the team, prepared for this year’s games by practicing every day in the morning over break.
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After the third quarter, Head Coach Kelli Payton illustrates a strategy on a whiteboard. Coach Payton communicated with the team during the game to direct their improvement.
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Before the game starts, the starting team exchanges words in preparation. The team gathered frequently throughout the game to discuss strategy and improvement.
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Jumping up, Vivian Hapka ’26 knocks the ball away from her team’s goal. Through tournaments, the team’s defense improved as they gained confidence.
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Flanked by two opponents, Ava Sartor ’25 attempts to bring the ball toward the Rangers’ goal. Sartor prepared for the game by working hard over the break to exercise and participate in team bonding. “I want to feel like I played a good game after every game, no matter the score,” Sartor said.
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In the Warriors’ return to the court after their Winter Break, the girls varsity basketball team lost to the Vista Ridge Ranger 57-33. Throughout the game, the Warriors repeatedly missed rebounds, losing opportunities to score, and failing to keep up with the Rangers’ offensive skills.
“I thought we just came in, not thinking about our win-loss record, not thinking about our end score, but just going out there and playing really hard, so I’m really proud,” Isabella D’Alessandro ‘25 said.
The Warriors started the first quarter ahead, as Claire Lee ‘26 made the first shot of the game and soon after, Vivian Hapka ‘26 was fouled, giving the Warriors another chance to widen their lead. Unfortunately, this was where Westwood’s lead began to slip. With 5:42 left in the first quarter, Vista Ridge sank a three, bringing the score to 4-3. Vista Ridge only continued to make more buckets, easily maneuvering the Warrior defense and stealing the ball from Westwood’s possession and with less than three minutes left in the first quarter, Vista Ridge had a considerable lead at 10-4. Just when it was needed, Lee drove the ball past the Ranger defense and scored a layup, bringing the score, back into fighting distance at 13-6. With 30 seconds left, the Warriors failed to keep up with the Rangers’ speed, with many of their opportunities to score foiled when the ball was stolen. The first quarter ended with Vista Ridge leading by more than double, at 17-8.
“We kind of predetermined our passes, so the other team [could] view our eyes pretty easily to know where those passes were going,” Ava Sartor ‘25 said. “I think our defense was a lot better this game. We have struggled in the past week keeping girls in front of us, and I think our posts especially did a better job keeping guards in front and other girls in front.”
The second quarter started with more energy from the Warriors. Only two minutes into the quarter, Co-Captain Theresa Bell ‘26 sank a three bringing the score to 17-11. After the Rangers scored again, the Warriors called a timeout with 3:35 left in the first half. However, this break to strategize made little difference as after more lapses in the Warriors’ defense the Rangers only continued to widen the gap in the score. With 3:14 left and the score at 29-15, Lee was fouled. As she drained the two free throws and set the score 29-17, but sadly, the Rangers responded quickly to the Warriors’ improved performance, continuing to steal the ball and rack up their points. The first half ended with the score at 37-18, the Warrior defense faltering yet again.
“I think our first half was really good, [but] our turnovers led to points for [Vista Ridge],” Co-Captain Caroline Doughtery ‘25 said. “We communicated really well and we were confident with the ball. In the tournaments, we gained confidence and the ability to work together, and our defense has gotten way better.”
Determined to close the 19-point gap in the scores in the second half, the Warriors came out of the locker room with energy. And like the first half, the Warriors scored the first shot of the second half after snatching a rebound. Continuing with the improvements, the Warriors were also quicker on defense, with D’Alessandro stealing the ball. With six minutes left, allowing Dougherty to make a bucket which brought the score to 39-24. However, despite their improved communication, the Warriors again began to lose their aggressive edge that was present in their defense. The Rangers only upped their score, continuously scoring threes and stealing the ball and by the end of the third quarter, Vista Ridge had a 20 point lead at 45-25.
“I would say we’ve really improved on talking with each other and trusting each other,” Dougherty said. “I think that comes over time, with team building and just hanging out with each other. I think we have a lot more trust in each other and just a lot more comfortability and chemistry with each other.”
The start of the fourth quarter wasn’t looking good for the Warriors, with the Rangers sinking a three in the first 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. Not long after, Iman Xu ‘28 was fouled, allowing her to increase the score to 27-48 with six minutes left in the game. After the Rangers scored multiple times, D’Alessandro pushed past Vista Ridge’s tough defense to make a layup, bringing the score to 53-29.
Sadly, in the last five minutes, the Warriors’ defense continued to falter and their offense couldn’t keep up with the Rangers’ speed. With 1:07 left, Xu scored another layup that was quickly followed by a foul, allowing Xu to score more points. In the last 20 seconds, Hapka was fouled, allowing her to bring the score to 57-33. But soon, the final buzzer rang with Westwood still in possession, unable to score again.
“[For the rest of the season] I want to win out every single game,” D’Alessandro said. “I know it’s my last year, and a lot of other girls’, so I just want us to do really well, and I’m really excited for the rest.”
The Warriors will next face off against their rivals, the McNeil Mavericks, at home on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m.
