Girls basketball ends record year in regionals
The girls’ varsity basketball team had a record breaking season for the school, winning their first SAC championship and making it to regionals.
photo by Bela Guise
Point guard Kiara Harris dribbles the ball down the court. The team won against Lyman 88-23
In the game that would decide the Seminole Athletic Conference championship on Jan.18, Lake Howell was leading 41-40. The defense made a huge stop in the final 30 seconds and got the ball up the court to shooting guard Hannah Kohn. She got the ball, took a step back, jumped and shot, scoring a three-pointer and winning the game, 43-41.
“It felt amazing,” Kohn said. “We talked about winning a championship as a team at the beginning of the year. When we did, it was great because we accomplished what we wanted to and it was so fun to do it with my teammates.”
With a SAC championship and a runner-up finish in the district playoffs, girls basketball enjoyed their most successful season yet.
The district championship was played against Colonial, and the girls lost 73-69 on Jan. 31.
“We definitely could have won that game. We were in the lead for the majority of it,” center Edie Wilkins said. “We rushed ourselves too much and in the end, we ended up paying for it.”
Before the successful finish, though, the season started off slow. They were 1-3, but then the team started to build more chemistry and worked together on defense and ball movement, which allowed them to secure more wins. The overall record for the team was 19-10.
“Our defense was my favorite part because we were really aggressive and able to communicate well. We all showed up this season and were very proud of each other,” Wilkins said.
Although the defense made great stops and game winning saves, the offense also proved itself. Kohn broke a national record making 19 three-pointers, scoring a total of 61 points, in a single game against Lyman on Dec.7. The initial goal was only to make eleven.
“We all put so much effort to get Hannah the ball,” point guard Kiara Harris said. “It was incredible when she broke the record and I have never been happier for anyone.”
Different improvements happen when a season comes to an end for any sports team. This season, the main improvement as a team was being able to start out the games faster, according to junior Kiara Harris.
“At the beginning of the season we were definitely a second half team. We started off really slow and it made games close that should not have been,” Harris said. “After winter break we started to play more consistently and were able to play the full game well.”
The team bonded very well over the season and would often hang out outside of practice. They did lunches, dinners, sleepovers, and pretty much anything else together. This in turn made them very close and able to work together well during the season.
“The best part of the season was all the little things outside of just playing the game,” Kohn said. “We would go get food and always cheer each other on and it made the season really enjoyable.”
The whole team is proud of each other for what they accomplished this season and are only looking to do better next year.
“Winning the SAC championship gave us fuel,” center Ellie Wilkins said. “We now more than ever want to win another championship.”
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