After an 0-15 start to the season, the girl’s basketball team made adjustments and grew closer as a team. The team captured two wins against Pasadena and hopes to add more wins in the final four games.
“I definitely think it can be better. I’d say it’s a rebuilding year for us,” sophomore Annalyn Herring said. “We’re a younger team with just less experience. I believe the more experience that we have, the better we’ll get.”
One of the main factors of the team’s struggles has been the addition of many young players. Only three players on the current roster have had varsity experience.
One of those players, senior Tricia Darcy has taken a leap in responsibility. Since she is one of the only returning players, she is expected to be one of the leaders of the locker room.
“Going into the season, [senior Kendall Olson] and I knew we both needed to step up,” Darcy said. “I feel like I’ve definitely gotten better about not worrying as much about myself and just helping other people be the best basketball player.”
The younger players’ development is one of the most crucial keys for coach Andrew Cross. He understood that there would be growing pains this season.
“Their youth shows up at times, but we’re getting better each and every game,” Cross said. “We’re starting to shoot the ball better. Run our offense better. Work really hard on defense. Our girls haven’t thrown in the towel yet.”
Although the record doesn’t reflect it, they have been defensively one of the better teams in the school’s history. Many members of the team feel that it is what keeps the score close in most games.
“I think our defense is definitely stronger than our offense right now,” Darcy said. “It’s one of our biggest strengths. We’ve gotten really good at pressing teams and running different zones.”
Getting a consistent offense going has been more of a struggle. The team has averaged 29 points per game.
“They come and play hard every night,” Cross said. “It’s just finding those people that can consistently score every night. That’s been a struggle.”
During the girls’ second win over Pasadena, however, their offense clicked. For the first time all season, they scored more than 40 points in a game. They won, 43-18, to improve to 2-21 for the season.
“Out of the nine players, eight players scored,” Cross said. “We spread the ball out. We defended our butts off. It was just one of those games where everything you’ve been working for comes together.”
The atmosphere in the locker room has also been positive throughout the season, which has helped.
“We get along with each other,” Olson said. “We’re a young team, but the bond is there. As they get older, I know they’ll be a great team.”
The team still hopes to make the playoffs, although it will be a challenging route. After a 51-33 loss to Crosby on Tuesday, the team needs a big win against West Fork (10-14 overall, 3-6 in district) this Friday on Senior Night to keep their hopes alive.
“We gotta go out and win the rest of the season,” Olson said. “Our goal is to step out every night and do our best.”
Overall, the team knows it will take a lot of effort and a little luck. The teams ahead of them need to suffer a few end-of-season losses to help the Panthers climb from sixth place to fourth in the district. For now, the Panthers are just going to worry about the effort they put onto the court each night and their own game plan. Cross is hopeful the offense and effort he saw in the win over Pasadena returns again on Friday.
“I’d like to see us come out with that same intensity against West Fork when we play Porter and Splendora,” Cross said. “I want to see that same intensity.”
