On Friday, Jan. 9, the girls’ varsity basketball team played their first Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) opponent and came out with a dominant 71-9 point win against the Tamalpais Red-tailed Hawks.
The Giants started out strong with an early lead into the first quarter. With a powerful offense the majority of the game, the Hawks had a hard time keeping the ball for long. As the game continued into the second half, the Giants were subbing players in and out frequently, but still had the same level of dominant offensive game play.
The Giants had previously lost to San Ramon Valley 82-27, leading Coach Zack Borello to reflect on how the loss affected their gameplay.
“I think it focused us,” Borello said. “Our team was really motivated after that game, and the last two practices were really good.”
Sophomore Rachel Towns said that she admired the team’s focus in practice.
“We do a lot of hard drills in practice, and I think that it really translates into the game,” Towns said.
With Towns valuing dedication to the sport, she notices her teammates who also put the same standards into practice. Towns gives credit to senior captain Kitty White for demonstrating those same values.
“[White] is definitely a standout player. She’s a really good role model for the underclassmen, and always puts in full effort [while playing],” Towns said.
White takes her role as a captain seriously, seeing tremendous value in the team staying disciplined.
“If we don’t keep up to our standards, then we won’t play our best, so it’s important to reinforce those and make sure that the energy is up all the time,” White said.
White contributes a large portion of the team’s success to the supportive atmosphere created by her teammates.
“The culture here at Redwood, it’s always energy and positivity, that’s just a constant for us,” White said. “As long as the energy on the bench and on the court is good, then I think we can strive for a good game.”
Looking forward to the rest of their MCAL season, the team has strong aspirations to meet.
“One of our team goals for the season is to be undefeated in MCAL and win the championship,” Towns said. “Another goal for us is to get a running clock every game, which you have to get by being up by 40 [points].”
Playing their next game on Tuesday, Jan. 13, the Giants hope to continue their strong momentum.
