Facing off against the Manor Mustangs on Friday, Dec. 12, the freshmen girls basketball team picked up another win at home. Throughout the game, the Warriors played consistent solid defence, holding the Mustangs to just 12 total points and winning 51-12.

The Mustangs took the lead right from the start of the game. However, due to several fouls from the Mustangs, the Warriors were granted multiple free throw opportunities. Using that chance, Lana Wilson ‘29 made the first basket of the game off a free throw to put the Warriors on the board. As the game progressed, the Mustangs actively defended possession of the ball, but Warrior offence took over, allowing Violet Everard ‘29 to sink the final shot before a timeout. Out of the timeout, Aubrey Rose Lawrence ‘29 scored the first bucket from the free throw line. The final score of the first quarter was 15-2.

“They were not one of the best teams we’ve played against, which made it fun to run our plays and try to get around them,” Lawrence said.

The first quarter was followed by a fierce head-to-head second quarter with the Warrior offense actively fighting for possession of the ball. This rough style led to scruffy plays from both teams. Elise Webb ‘29 took the first shot of the quarter after a timeout, allowing the Warriors to capture the momentum early into the quarter. Not only did the Warriors push off strong on offense to open the quarter, they also took a tight man-to-man approach on defense, allowing them to have multiple steals. With these new improvements to their game, the first half closed with the Warriors up by 13 and a final score of 25-2.

“There was a lot of aggression on both sides, and that caused a lot of people to fall,” Webb said. “I think that it was good that we pushed through, even though we had a lot of injuries, and it was kind of hard sometimes, we just kept going.”

Scoring several field goals, the Warriors took possession right off the start of the third quarter. Coupled in the teamwork, after getting a steal, Evarard passed the ball crosscourt to Wilson, allowing her to score an easy layup. The third period was a change of pace for the Mustangs, as they started getting to the basket with numerous layups and free throws. Despite this slight shift in offensive action for Manor, their defense was unable to hold the Warriors. The final score of the third quarter was 43-12.

“It was one of my best games so far,” Evarard said. “I handled the defensive pressure really well.”

The last quarter was opened by Adeliza Hobbs ’29 with a nifty basket. Following this bucket, the Mustangs had an immense shift in defensive strategy as they began to make defensive stops, and force the Warriors to move the ball quickly and hold possession longer. While the Mustangs held the Warriors to a total of only eight points through the fourth quarter, the Warriors maintained the aggressive defense they had carried all game, forcing the Mustangs to a scoring drought of zero total points in the final quarter. The final score of the game was 51-12.

The Warriors will take the court again to face off against the Hutto Hippos on Friday, Dec. 19.