As the clock counted down the remaining seconds in the game, Sammy Phan (10) quickly took position just outside the three-point arc and sent the basketball flying into the net and scoring a three-pointer that helped seal the 59-21 win against Del Norte, Jan. 17. Teammates and supporters alike erupted into cheers as the buzzer rang. 

Because of the team’s diligent practices, Maren Zimmer (12) said she felt ready to take on the Nighthawks. During their practices, they focused on their press. 

“Our team has been working on different presses to pressure other teams throughout the season,” she said. “To prepare for Del Norte, we spent many practices perfecting our press and making sure that we knew their lineup.”

Before the game, the coaches set a certain challenge for the girls, pushing them to keep Del Norte under 20 points. 

“Our biggest challenge while playing Del Norte was definitely the fact that our coach expected us to keep them under 20 points,” Zimmer said. “Unfortunately, they scored 21 points at the end of the game and we didn’t meet our goal, but [the effort] made us better as a whole.”

During the first quarter, Westview dominated the court as they kept possession of the ball. With 20 points on the board by the end of the first quarter, spirits were high among the team. 

“In the first quarter, we kept [Del Norte] to zero points,” Zimmer said. “We ran our plays and press really well and [we] were up by 20 points.” 

As the game progressed, Del Norte’s offense settled into more control of the ball, rushing down the court and scoring nine points in the second quarter. Due to their coaches’ challenge to play strong defense, Zimmer said she started to feel a bit nervous.

“There was a lot of pressure on us, which caused us to play a little frantically, but we got it under control,” Zimmer said. 

According to Zimmer, the team focused on defensive strategies to keep Del Norte from scoring. 

After half-time, Westview switched up their lineup, bringing reserves onto the court. Along with a new lineup, Westview implemented some new plays called the bonsai and sack, which focused on giving shooters space to score three-pointers. 

“We had plays that gave shooters like Sarah Heyn (11) and Makena McLaughlin (11) open looks for shots and our new lineup gave everyone the opportunity to show their skills during the game,” Zimmer said. 

Keeping the momentum from the first half, girls basketball racked up 23 points during the  third and fourth quarters. Their dedicated efforts on the court paid off and raised their overall record to 11-6 and 2-0 in league. 

Katie Graves (12) said the team’s ability to work together and play strategically was the biggest factor in determining the game’s outcome. 

“[Our] biggest strength was being able to come together as a team and know our opponent, [while] being able to play against them in the way that we know best,” Graves said. 

Despite Westview’s victory, Zimmer said they must remain prepared for rematch against Del Norte, Feb. 4. 

“In [our] future game, our team can definitely work on communication and moving the ball around the court better,” Zimmer said. “Individually, I think I can work on playing better defense and fouling less.”

Overall, the Wolverines maintained a strong performance throughout the game. Bailey Wavrik (12) credits the crowd support, in part, for the team’s dominant performance. 

“The best part of the game for me was seeing and hearing my friends in the crowd cheering for me,” Wavrik said. “It really does make a difference seeing them there to support me.”