Girls Basketball (2023-2024)
Panthers Drop Home Contest to Braves in Non-League Action
December 12, 2023—On chilly evening at Hagler Court on the campus of Saint Mary’s College High School, the Varsity Girls Basketball Team hosted the Justin Siena Braves in their first home game of the season, featuring a matchup between two teams that squared off in last year’s North Coast Section (NCS) Playoffs where the Panthers knocked out the Braves in the first round. Therefore, with the recent history between the two programs, energy and tension were high as both teams were looking for a critical win in this non-league contest. While the Panthers may have been the first to score that night, it would be the Braves that would maintain a steady lead for the rest of the game.
Our Panthers started off slow in the fast-paced first and second quarters but didn’t give up as they showed signs of life to keep the Braves from pulling away. They played with determination countering Justin Siena’s aggression but ended the first half with trailing the Braves by the score of 32-16.
St. Mary’s had a strong comeback in the third quarter with their solid defense, forcing turnovers and leaving the Braves flustered. Unfortunately, the Panthers struggled with converting turnovers to points.
The game went back and forth in the fourth quarter, and St. Mary’s put pressure on their opponent. However, it would not be their night as the Braves would go on to defeat the Panthers by the score of 60-40. Despite the loss, the Panthers were led by Juniors, Marlee Richard and Tatiana Wilson, who scored 13 and 10 points respectively.
The Panthers will now look to put this game behind them as they will travel to Crockett, California on Friday, December 15th, when they take on the John Swett Warriors in their first league game of the year. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00pm.