Varsity Girls Basketball fell to Scotts Valley High School 48-42 at a home game on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Matadors started off rough due to low intensity and energy, resulting in multiple turnovers that ended the first quarter down 14-4. In the second quarter, MVHS hustled and found their rhythm to close the gap to 21-19. However, the team was unable to overtake SVHS, trailing 33-29 going into the final period and ultimately losing the game 48-42.
Senior post and forward Navya Parvathaneni says that the Matadors’ loss may have been due to having played a game just the day before. Nonetheless, she believes that the team communicated well, but suffered from a slow start in the first quarter.
“We need to start really well from the get-go, instead of waiting until we’re behind,” Parvathaneni said. “So we hope to improve on our teamwork and our unity, because the more we work together, the more shots we can take and the better connection we have.”
After struggling against SVHS’ full-court press early on, the Matadors adjusted by placing a player in the middle of the court to provide someone players could pass to. Junior and shooting guard Ananya Kotla notes that the team amped up their intensity in the second half of the game after the adjustment, but acknowledges the game would have turned out better if they had played with that energy from the start.
“A lot of us were especially down after the game, but it’s just another game,” Kotla said. “We just have to be ready for the next one.”
According to freshman and shooting guard Alice Tie, the Matadors hustled faster and improved their defense in response to SVHS’ aggressive plays. However, she says that there are many things they still need to work on, including getting to their spots faster and reducing turnovers from soft passes.
“They were different from the other teams that we played against,” Tie said. “As a team, we adapted really well to their level. Our team chemistry is good, but sometimes we just need to get it in our heads. We need to want the win, we need to want this game, and we need to own it.”
