Varsity Girls Basketball won against Lynbrook High School 53-45 on Wednesday, Feb. 8, in its 10th league game. LHS took the lead in the first quarter, with a score of 13-11, which continued into halftime with a score of 22-19. However, the Matadors caught up in the second half, bringing their overall season record to 18-5 and their league record to 8-3.
Senior and captain Sophia Lu attributes the win to a strong defense, believing that once players were able to intercept some of LHS’s passes, their momentum allowed them to catch up. Despite falling behind by three points in the second quarter, the Matadors pivoted their focus on specifically blocking three-pointers.
“They’re really good at shooting a lot of threes, and we took that away in the second half,” Lu said. “We got a lot of good steals and fast breaks. Our defensive plays did really well and that killed Lynbrook’s momentum.”
Head Coach Sara Borelli believes that although the game started off rushed and more fouls were called in this game compared to others, the team was able to make a comeback by slowing down and focusing on making clean shots.
“In the second half, we started shooting better, taking smarter shots and moving the ball around really well,” Borelli said. “I think we were solid defensively, and we just held our composure.”
According to Borelli, the National Women and Girls in Sports celebration brought out a bigger crowd, which helped encourage the team. A special halftime show featured performances by MV Dance Team, and cheer teams from both schools were actively cheering throughout the game.
However, despite the win, Lu thinks the team could still work on communication and being more confident offensively, particularly in its next game against Los Gatos High School.
“Especially considering that the last two home games didn’t end well,” Lu said. “I think we’re gonna take this game and hopefully carry it on the momentum from this game to Friday with us.”
