The Carlmont Scots JV girls basketball team fell short to the Hillsdale Knights on Jan. 27, with a final score of 35-15.
The game started with a lot of pressure on both teams, as they fought to make the first basket. The last time they played each other, Carlmont lost 56-8, so the players tried to enter the game with a good mindset.
“Going into the game, my mindset was that we had to do a lot better. We have to work as a team, and we should collaborate more,” said freshman and Scots small forward Elvia Lo.
Despite falling behind quickly in possession, Mia Wells, a freshman point guard for the Scots, scored the first basket of the game.
The first half featured both teams going back and forth on the court, with Carlmont racking up four fouls by the end of it.
“A couple of them were really aggressive, and they kept up their aggressiveness throughout the whole game, so that was a challenge because a lot of people were closing in on the center,” said Hillsdale freshman MacKenzie Lew.
The first half ended 25-3, with an addition to the score made by Alexa Weiss, a sophomore and guard for Carlmont, through a free throw. Hillsdale also scored a last-minute buzzer-beater, as they dominated the early quarters.
After the first half ended, the Scots made sure to improve their communication and strategy, realizing it was the main problem holding them back during the game.
“Today, there was a little bit of disconnection in general with our team, and that could’ve been solved through communication. So going forward, we definitely need to work on that more,” said Aditi Chaudhary, the Scots co-captain and sophomore at Carlmont.
In the third quarter, they were able to jump back and bring their score up to 10. Freshmen Parto Azar and Wells dominated this quarter, both making several 2-pointers.
The Scots tried their best to stay strong and aggressive throughout the fourth quarter, but ended up down by 20 points.
After the final buzzer, the players reflected on their performance and identified how to refine their strategy for their next game against Aragon.
Despite the loss, as the season approaches its end, the Scots have begun to focus more on strategy, communication, and confidence than on the final score.
“Throughout the game, my main mentality is not to focus on the score, but to improve and go hard. Our coaches always say to go 100%, and if you go 100% you can make up for it,” Chaudhary said.
