The Middle School Girls Black Basketball team beat Viewpoint in a close home game on January 9.
“The focus for every game is always defense,” Coach Diamond Davis said. “We can compromise on offense, but we can never compromise on defense. This means keeping the offense in front of us and pressuring the ball.”
The team did just that, keeping Viewpoint out of the paint, the area close to the basket, and preventing them from getting clear shots at the basket. Wolverines also made five steals in the first quarter. However, they struggled to turn those steals into points, allowing Viewpoint to stay close and finish the first quarter just two points behind, with a score of 8-6. The Viewpoint Patriots tied the score at the end of the second quarter with a last second three-pointer, sending the teams into halftime at 15-15.
In the third quarter, the Wolverines pulled ahead, scoring three consecutive two-pointers off of rebounds, and entered the final quarter leading 25-22. When one team would score, the other would respond, but Viewpoint was ultimately unable to catch up in the end, and the Wolverines secured the win with a score of 32-28.
“I think the team did a good job of fixing mistakes that we made, and everything we had been struggling with we tried working on today,” #27 Alexa Kim ’30 said. “I also think that our teamwork was good as well.”
The Wolverines’ ability to play together helped them hold off Viewpoint late in the game, but as it is for every team, there are always ways to improve.
“We are definitely going to start focusing on executing our offense. There were a couple of times where we were freelancing and would end up making turnovers, so we need to make sure we’re making good passes and getting good buckets,” Davis said.
This win puts the Wolverines at a record of 2-1. As their season continues through the end of January, the team will look to improve their offensive movement while maintaining their defensive consistency.
