Junior Anna Fluetsch scored 11 points, leading the girls basketball team to a 25-20 win over the Cristo Rey Saints on Jan. 10, homecoming night for Country Day.
After the first quarter, the score was tied 4-4 with a last-minute basket from Country Day (2-7 overall, 1-2 Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League). With five seconds remaining in the second quarter, freshman point guard Jada Grey sank a 3-pointer, cutting Cristo Rey’s lead to 10-9 at halftime.
Coach Latonia Pitts said the turning point came late in the third quarter.
“(Grey) made a 3-pointer and free throws in the third quarter, bringing us to a better score,” Pitts said. “The girls saw that they had a chance to win, so more people started attempting shots and guarding their opponents well. This made it hard for the other team to recover and gain the lead.”
With two minutes left in the third quarter, the Cavs were down 18-15, but by the end of the quarter, they led 20-18. They maintained the lead throughout the fourth quarter.
Freshman Sage Spradlin, who scored two points, added that rebounding was the key to victory.
“We were able to position ourselves in the perfect place to get the rebounds,” Spradlin said. “This gave us more opportunities to score and try making as many shots as we possibly could.”
The Cavs had 31 rebounds, a season-high for the team, according to Pitts.
However, sophomore Vivian Conner said the team needs to work on ballhandling.
“We are still letting the ball slip through our hands, which gave the opponents many chances to steal from us,” Conner said. “The other team won’t be able to score as many points if we work on this.”
The Cavs’ next game is Monday, Jan. 13, at 6:30 p.m. against Buckingham Charter at Vaca Pena Middle School in Vacaville.
—By Sanjana Anand
