The girls varsity basketball team lost to the Cathedral Panthers 67-47 on Sunday, Jan. 5, in the Schluntz Gymnasium.

Senior and captain Olivia Mataraza scored the first two points of the game with a layup. The first quarter was a close match and both teams fought hard with the Warriors managing to come out with a lead of 13-12.

The Warriors’ lead began to dwindle in the second quarter, with the Panthers in the lead with a score of 29-22 at halftime.

Head coach Kendell Jones said that he knew going into this game that the Panthers were a strong team and that the goal was to prove to the Panthers that they could not out-shoot the Warriors in their zone defense.

“They didn’t out-shoot us. They just outworked us, and we were inconsistent with being consistent,” Jones said.

After a tough loss to the Newton North Tigers on Friday, Jan. 3, Mataraza said that the morale was low, and the team tried to bring recover their energy for the game today.

“We tried to come in with more focus,” Mataraza said. “I think for the most part, the first half, we played pretty well together. I think consistency is something that we’re still working on.”

The third quarter ended with the Panthers still in the lead with a score of 49-32. With multiple three-pointers from juniors Jada Kimbro and captain Nefeli Aga-Kitch in the second half. The Warriors fought hard. Still, it was not enough to dominate over the Panthers.

Jones highlighted another player, freshman Skylar Makalusky, the only freshman on the roster, as a strong player of the game.

“Skylar played well today, and since she is only a freshman, she’s going to be fun to watch the next three years,” Jones said.

So far in the season, Jones said that he has had confidence in the teams’ abilities, and that he recognizes the hard work it takes to succeed.

“We are getting better every day, and we just have to keep pushing each other,” Jones said. “It takes sacrifice to win and be a great team. Whether it’s coming in early in the morning or staying late at practice. You got to put in that work to get good results. So, slowly, it’s coming along.”

Despite the loss, Mataraza said that the season is promising, especially with three wins already under their belt.

“We have definitely been doing better than last season,” Mataraza said. “So, we’re totally stoked, high energy, ready for our next two games this week. We just gotta keep learning from what we are doing wrong.”