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Dribbling the ball, Elizabeth Lowe ’28 pivots away from Round Rock defense. Lowe was a key player in the game, controlling the game’s pace and making sure that the Warriors could score as much as possible.
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All eyes and ears, Rebekah Hatala ’27 listens intently to the coach’s plan on defense. The team huddles scattered around the game restored their hopes and energies.
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Guarded by two Dragons, Julissa Rodriguez focuses on a way out. Despite falling short a few points, the team’s chemistry and attentiveness allowed them score multiple baskets.
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Running close to Round Rock’s defense, Kylie Xu ’27 looks out for the ball. The two evenly-matched teams were extremely competitive throughout the game.
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Waiting to see if the ball would increase the score, the two teams gather around the basket, a tangle of hands reaching for the ball. The intense game hyped up the audience with each successful shot made.
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With the ball in her hands, Ana Correa ’28 faces two Dragons before attempting a basket. Round Rock’s defense was strong throughout the entire game, making it difficult to surpass them.
Facing the Round Rock Dragons on Tuesday, Jan. 6, the JV Girl’s basketball team fell shy of the win against the Dragons with a final score of 36-34. The two evenly-matched teams delivered a nail-biting game to the audience, with the Warriors fighting hard in each quarter to surpass the Dragons.
“Our team chemistry has gotten a lot better,” Isla Wilson ‘28 said. “On court passing and communication needs a little more improvement, but I think we’re getting there.”
After several unsuccessful shots from both teams and two fouls from the Warriors at the beginning of the first quarter, Round Rock scored the first basket, putting them in the lead. But, seconds later, Wilson responded with a two point shot, putting the Warriors on the board Following a quick team huddle, the Warriors came back ready to fight, with Elizabeth Lowe ‘28 and Varsha Shiva Ram ‘28 leading a strong defense. Wilson and Ram each made a jump shot, ending the first quarter behind Round Rock 10-8.
“We do a lot of conditioning training during our practices,” Kylie Xu ‘27 said. “We run a lot and our drills are specifically tailored to ensure that we are able to react quickly so it doesn’t [get too chaotic on the court].
Round Rock fouled opening the second quarter, allowing the Warriors to tie the score 10-10. Julissa Rodriguez ‘28 made a dodge and basket around the Dragons’ defense. After intense back and forths, the score rose to 19-15, with Round Rock still in the lead. Even though the Dragons continued to foul, the Warriors held their composure and chased down every loose ball. Despite the Warriors best efforts, the second quarter ended in Round Rock’s favor, 23-19.
“We didn’t shoot enough,” Mantra Vivek ‘28 said. “A lot of the time it’s harder [to shoot] when we get open since we had to play defense a lot in this game.”
Tumbling into the third quarter, the Warriors continued to be on the Dragon’s heels. Round Rock continued to make shot after shot but eventually, raining true to previous patterns, fell back into foul trouble, allowing the Warriors to win a free throw point. Livia Xu ‘27 helped the team with a jump shot to motivate the Warriors. Keeping the energy high, Rodriguez followed with a last minute buzzer shot, ending the quarter 29-26, just three points behind the Dragons.
“Sometimes we do practice partners, and Julissa has [helped me improve],” Wilson said. “She pushes me and plays defense [really well], so I always have to [work twice as hard] to get around her.”
In the final quarter, the Warriors seized their chance with a free throw after Round Rock fouled once again. The shot was successful, finally allowing the Warriors to surpass the Dragons briefly, bringing the score to 30-29. With just two minutes on the clock, both teams managed to get to the rim to advance their score, tying the game 33-33. The Warriors fought with all their determination, but ended the intense game 36-34.
“Each quarter we started off a little bit nervous [because we didn’t know] what [was] going to happen,” Wilson said. “But then [we] looked at the score and it was actually pretty close [each time] so we were super hyped the entire time.”
The JV Women’s basketball team will play again on Friday, Jan. 9, against the Stoney Point Tigers.
