The girls basketball team beat Santa Clara 65-33 in a comfortable win in their first home league game.
“Going into the game, I’m pretty sure there [were] a few nerves going through everyone,” point guard Jillian Higa said. “We all knew that we had to step up our game because we know we can play better than we did against Paly.”
The Spartans started the game strong, as they took a comfortable early lead soon after the tip off. At halftime, the Spartans led 39-21.
“Everyone stepped up their game, and everyone did a great job contributing as a whole team,” Higa said. “We know what we need to work on, and we were able to get it done.”
She said her favorite moment was at the end of the game when the bench and crowd were cheering and motivating everyone to finish strong.
Senior shooting guard Alana Hernandez said the team’s defensive performance was a key factor in their victory. She specifically highlighted the efforts of freshman Fiona Lee and Higa.
“They most likely get steals before the ball can even get across half court,” Hernandez said. “We practice our defense practically for 30 minutes out of the two hours at practice every day, and I think it pays off in the games because we get most of our points off steals.”
Hernandez said the win put the team one step closer to league championships, and eventually CCS.
“We have definitely worked very, very hard to get to where we’re at as an overall program,” Hernandez said. “ As long as we stay disciplined and continue to work very hard, we’re one step closer to where we want to be.”
