Date: Jan. 15
Opponent: El Dorado Adventist
Location: Home
Result: Country Day lost 34-26 to fall to 1-8 overall and 0-6 in league.
Country Day Scoring: Sophomore Lindsay Burback 16, freshman Vivian Conner 4, senior Brandy Riziki 2, sophomore Anna Fluetsch 2, sophomore Naomi Cohen 2.
Inside info from small forward Burback: “Tonight’s game was probably our second-best game. This is an interesting fact because our star player, (senior) Heidi Johnson, was absent due to an illness. This forced all of our team to have to step up our game, as we couldn’t just rely on our usual point guard. Our defense was on point tonight; we were able to get a few steals and blocks and, in general, were able to protect the ball. Our offense was also pretty good — we were able to put up some shots.”
Inside info from post Fluetsch: “Our downfall was rebounding. The other team was much taller than us and was able to get rebounds more frequently than us. They got a lot of their shots from their rebounds, which is part of why we lost.
We definitely started to pull through during the second half. Our shots were falling, and our offense was much better than usual. We were communicating more, and we were able to run the plays.
Overall, I am proud of how our team played tonight. We really showed our abilities, powers and strengths and what we all individually bring to the table. We still have a lot to improve on, but I’m excited to see how we will progress!”
Inside info from coach Latonia Pitts: “I was not sure what to expect before the game. I knew Johnson wasn’t playing due to an illness, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. We most likely would have won if we could have done better on the boards, so rebounds were definitely a weak point in this game.
The girls did a good job with the ball movement and not rushing the shot. Many of the girls were taking shots they normally don’t take. With Johnson out, they all had more responsibility and had to step up. We came back and were down by two yet couldn’t hold them off (because of rebounds). The girls were also pumping each other up and kept fighting. It was great to hear everyone cheering for them. Their confidence grew tonight. Ball movement and holding on to the ball were better.
There has been lots of improvement since the beginning of the season. Some of the things just aren’t visible, and you wouldn’t know if you didn’t play the game. But if you saw their first game and now see them play, you can tell there definitely have been improvements. I am extremely proud of the young ladies tonight, and I hope they are just as proud of themselves.”
Next game: Friday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m., at home against Cristo Rey.
—By Arikta Trivedi
