Sophomore Heidi Johnson tosses a ball to freshman Bri Davies.
Although the team held on during the beginning of the game, girls’ varsity basketball lost, 51-79, to their biggest competitor, Valley Christian Academy, on Jan. 24.
Even though the Cavs were behind, the difference was only about six points during most of the first half. But then Valley Christian went on a scoring streak, bringing their lead up to a daunting 20.
From then on, the Cavs couldn’t catch up.
However, this lack of energy was more mental than physical.
“We weren’t too tired – we just kind of gave up and let up,” senior Alexa Mathisen said. “We made some subs, started playing for ourselves and lost motivation.”
There was a turning point even in the first quarter when the girls started to give up on plays and quit hustling, according to sophomore Heidi Johnson.
Although she acknowledged the obstacles throughout the game, sophomore Bella Mathisen said that she didn’t think the team played that badly.“If we had made our shots, it would have been a better score, but we played fine overall,” she said.
Other problems like bad passes and missed free throws and layups further cemented the loss.
Junior Yasmin Gupta, a leading scorer, fouled out in the third quarter, leaving the girls with even less motivation.
Contrarily, Johnson was disappointed in their performance.
“The other team wasn’t much more talented,” she said. “I think we have a chance to beat them next time if we stay in control, see the court and play smart.”
The Cavs will have a chance at redemption in their final game against Valley on Monday, Feb. 13.
The Cavs’ next game was scheduled to be against Sacramento Adventist on Jan. 24, but the match up was cancelled, so the girls will face Cristo Rey at home on Tuesday, Jan. 31, instead.
—By Mohini Rye
