The girls varsity basketball team lost 59-33 to the Natick Redhawks in the Schluntz Gymnasium on Friday, Dec. 13 for their first game of the season.

Although the Redhawks won the tip-off, the Warriors quickly recovered possession with senior and captain Olivia Mataraza scoring the first basket of the game and the season. The Warriors kept their energy up against the Redhawks’ strong defense, finishing the first quarter in the lead with a score of 12-11.

The second quarter began with a layup from Mataraza, but after a timeout, the Redhawks responded and quickly gained a 2-point lead. Sophomore Izzy Wood was quick to get back on defense, intercepting many of the Redhawk’s attacks. The Redhawks scored an additional two points in the final minute, ending the first half at 22-15, Redhawks.

Mataraza, who scored a career record of 19 points throughout the game, said the first half went well.

“Last season we talked about keeping our energy up and I think we were able to maintain that, but slowly we did lose it a little bit and struggled to finish on offense,” Mataraza said. “I was pretty impressed with our two-three defense and I think we communicated better than we have in the past.”

After an energetic halftime performance from the Warriors cheer team, the Redhawks came onto the court with a new drive that the Warriors struggled to keep up with. The Redhawks started the quarter by increasing their lead to 10 points, but junior Jada Kimbro was able to make a layup, countering the Redhawks’ vicious offense. However, the Redhawks kept up their aggression, finishing the third quarter with a score of 42-21, Redhawks in the lead.

Despite the loss, junior and captain Ivy Wheeler was happy to be back on the court alongside her teammates. Wheeler said Mataraza worked well on the post and led the team throughout the game.

“It was fun to play with everyone again in the first game of the season and I’m just really excited to grow from here and keep getting to know everyone on the team and how they play,” Wheeler said.

The Redhawks increased their lead on the Warriors, scoring 17 points in the final quarter. However, the Warriors kept up their attack, with Mataraza scoring nine of the 12 points for the Warriors. Even with the persistence of the Warriors, the Redhawks’ consistency and effective defense led the Warriors to lose the game with a final score of 59-33.

Although they lost the game, head coach Kendall Jones said that the team worked hard.

“It’s game one, I think the most important part is adjusting to what we did in the game,” Jones said. “Moving forward is about how do you pivot and do the right thing.”