After years of defeat to South High School, girls varsity basketball was able to snatch the win they’ve been working towards for weeks. On Friday, Feb. 19, the Lady Norsemen conquered the Blue Devils with a score of 55-44.

They struggled with communication and defense prior to this game, which attributed to their loss earlier this year. But after developing stronger camaraderie, they defeated the cross-town rival.

“The girls worked really hard together as a unit, especially on defense.  Anyone that knows me well knows that I value defensive effort more than any other single quality that our players can possess,” coach Gary Bennett said via email.

Senior Lauren Lesha finds that as the team becomes more familiar with each other and their individual playing styles, the team is able to function more fluently.

“We have very good people every competition and everyone can kind of play almost all of the positions so we can all interchange. We know where people are supposed to be and make passes fast,” Lesha said. “We know how each other plays and where everyone is most successful, so we’re able to make passes in the right spots.”

Even though their cohesion has developed throughout the season, shooting and free throws are still places of improvement.

Coach Ariel Braker knew the team would win, even with their struggles with shooting.

“I knew we were going to win this game the second time around.  We are a better team,” Braker said via email. “We won by 11 points which was still pretty good. The team played really well and with a lot of energy.”

This win means a lot to the team. Freshman Evelyn Zacharias is thrilled that their hard work is paying off.

“After the game, I felt a rush of joy and relief. To know that we finally have achieved our goal was very satisfying,” Zacharias said via email. “This win means so much for our team, it gives us confidence while reaching the end of the season and shows us the potential we have of going far.”

South High School is a strong competitor and proved a goal for the team. With this win, Lesha is confident in their abilities to play a higher  caliber of competition.

“It was a turning point in the season. We had a couple of tough losses and beating South was obviously a big momentum booster for us. So, they’re a good team,” Lesha said. “If we can beat them, we can play anyone.”