American’s Varsity Girls’ basketball team wins at Washington’s senior night, moves on to NCS
Sarah Jensen
Staff Writer
American’s Varsity Girls’ basketball team won their away game 36-51 against Washington High School on February 19, 2016, in the last game of the League. After a slow start, American caught up to Washington by the end of the second half and gradually increased their lead for the rest of the game, qualifying for NCS with their win.
After the initial activities of Washington’s senior night (in which American’s seniors were given bouquets of yellow-orange roses), the game started off with the two teams playing at an even level. But soon Washington’s larger number of rebounds began to pay off, and they reached a twelve-point lead of 15-3. American made a small comeback near the end of the first quarter, ending it 15-8, still in Washington’s favor.
“We liked the great shots we got at the beginning of the game; they just weren’t going in for whatever reason,” Coach Keith Ramee explained. “Sierra and Ari and Megan and Vicky did a great job of then passing up on those jump shots and just driving the ball to the basket.”
The game picked up significantly in the second quarter. In addition to the drives, American boosted its rebounds and teamwork, passing the ball quickly for successful plays. With thirty seconds to go, American scored one more three-pointer, passing Washington’s score to bring the total to 19-20, in American’s favor.
“We snapped into it,” Shreya Joshi (12) said. “We were passing the ball, we were playing as a team, cheering together as a team, we were playing for each other.”
Washington briefly regained the lead early in the third quarter, but American took it back within two minutes. The quarter proceeded with intensity, but it was the clean intensity of a focused team. Though Washington fought hard, American intercepted passes and continued to play with strong teamwork, which took them to a six point lead by the end of quarter three, 28-34.
“The second half went really well,” Jazmyn Sudbrook (12) said. “We played as a unit, we ran our plays and we sort of slowed the game down a little bit to our pace instead of playing all hyped up.”
The fourth quarter began with a renewed push from Washington, which still didn’t stop American from scoring a pair of three-point shots plus another basket. American picked up the pace again after the five-minute mark, playing with as much skill and teamwork as before. The game ended 36-51, American’s win.
“It was a tougher game than we thought it would be,” Arianna Norris (11) admitted. “We kinda thought this would be an easy win, but they did definitely fight back. But I mean, we ended up winning, so I guess the hard work paid off.”
This final win against Washington qualified the Varsity Girls’ team for NCS. Coach Ramee expressed pride in the fact that the team was able to stay focused and positive despite the early setback.
“Most teams would have panicked, most teams would have separated and started yelling at each other,” Ramee said. “And they came together, and they focused and they helped each other out.”
Eagle Era 