Jake Davidson

Managing Editor

On January 10, the girls varsity basketball team started their bid for a fifth consecutive league title against rival Hillcrest Christian. The Wildcats (10-4), who are the perennial powerhouse of the Heritage League, lost 44-43 in a closely contested battle. Prior to this game, the Wildcats had prevailed in 27 of their last 28 league games. Sorelle Cohen ’13 led all scorers with 20 points, and sophomore Shaynee Rosen ’14 added 12 points and eight rebounds.

“I was really disappointed after the game because I did not feel we gave our best effort. We did not play well, which happens, but our effort did not match our opponents,” coach Barbara Iversen said.

Despite the early league loss, the Wildcats have performed well this season. After losing four seniors, including three all-league players, the underclassmen have stepped up when needed.   The team has been led by Cohen, a dominant force in the paint, and is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds a game. Rosen has provided a stabilizing force in the backcourt, contributing nearly 10 points a game. In addition, Nicky Shemian ’13 has proven herself to be a great court general, both getting the team set into their offense and hounding her opponents with tenacious defense.

One of the highlights of the season so far was a thrilling triple overtime 66-62 win over the Beverly High Normans. The Wildcats demonstrated incredible discipline in the game with four players entering the first overtime with four fouls and none fouling out. Rosen lead the team in the game with 17 points and hit two clinching free throws in the third overtime to put the Normans away for good.

“It was one of the best wins for the basketball program. It was a great game to coach and a great game for the fans. It was a total team effort,” Iverson said.

An early league loss was a blow to the girls team, but only serves as motivation to compete even harder the rest of the season. The Wildcats will look to avenge their defeat against Hillcrest Christian on January 28 as they continue on their journey towards a five-peat.