The girls varsity basketball team lost 68-34 in their home opener against the Framingham Flyers in the Schluntz Gym on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Despite their loss, players demonstrated their commitment until the final buzzer.
The first quarter saw the Flyers push ahead with an early lead. Within the first five minutes, the Warriors received five fouls compared to their opponents’ two, helping the Flyers maintain their lead through free throws. With two minutes left in the first quarter, the Flyers’ score was almost double that of the Warriors’, at 15-8. Unphased, the Warriors managed to shoot three consecutive three-pointers before the buzzer went off, ending the quarter 17-15 Flyers.
Sophomore and guard Nefeli Aga-Kitch said despite Framingham’s lead, she felt motivated by the Warriors small streak.
“We did have phases where we would go on a scoring spree, so we need to just work on continuing that,” Aga-Kitch said.
The second quarter saw lockdown defense from the Flyers. With cries of “defense” from Warriors fans, the Warriors stepped up their game and made several steals. Within the last minute of the quarter, the Warriors scored four more points, bringing the score at the end of the first half to 34-22 Flyers.
The Warriors started the third quarter strong, with junior and captain Olivia Zanini scoring the first basket. However, with several more points from the Flyers, the end of the third quarter left the Warriors trailing 49-30.
The Flyers dominated throughout the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Warriors couldn’t score until the last minutes of the game. Senior and forward Stephanie Gravely made the first Warriors basket of the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 65-32.
With 20 seconds left, Aga-Kitch made another basket, bringing the score to 67-34. The Flyers scored the last basket before the buzzer went off, ending the game with a score of 68-34.
Junior and captain Olivia Mataraza said the team’s further experience will only enhance their playing and that they won’t let this first loss define the season.
“Honestly, we’re a really young team, so I’m not super discouraged by this loss,” Mataraza said. “I’m looking forward to our next two games: making some corrections, staying focused, and moving on.”
Aga-Kitch said that although the team may not have gotten the result they hoped for, their hard work will ultimately pay off.
“This is our first game of the season, and it’s not the way we wanted it to start,” Aga-Kitch said. “However, I think our practices have been good and we’re ready to get at it next game.”
