All 10 of the girls’ varsity basketball players made a basket on Monday night Dec. 10 in their game against Tamalpais High School, blowing out their rival with a score of 66-29.

Senior Sophia Margulies believes that the win was an extreme confidence booster for the team.

“In the past, Tam has been a very solid, competitive team. We lost to them a couple of years ago, so to completely kill them at the end of the game and give them no chance of return is a very satisfying feeling,” Margulies said.

The game started slow, as the teams went back and forth, with Redwood taking a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. But as the game progressed, the Giants gained momentum. In the middle of the second quarter, Redwood’s offense began to make shots, while defensive players locked down their competitors, holding Tam back and pushing the score to 21-8.

For returning varsity senior Gabby Beltran, Tam was her first game of the season, having just recovered from an injury. Beltran was nervous that the game may be tough for her team as she hadn’t experienced playing with them this season, but as the girls progressed through the game, she grew more confident about the outcome.

“I think we were all about sharing the wealth this game and passing the rocket around to everybody. Halfway in, everyone was able to get on the scoreboard, which was amazing and is always a goal we hope to achieve,” Beltran said.

According to Margulies, the Giants remained optimistic coming into the third quarter when they powered through with a score of 42-20. Aside from their consistent scoring, Redwood was able to hold Tam back from the basket, only allowing them to score 17 points until the last buzzer of the fourth quarter.

“We managed to remain at our peak until the end and I’m very proud of the results. I don’t think [the win] was expected; I think we’re a completely different team this year, we have so many different girls, and we went in playing our best and ran our fastest,” Margulies said.

According to returning varsity junior Chenna Mendieta, it was crucial to stay determined and focused even after the Giants were ahead by over 30 points, because it is easy for the team to lose their stamina.

“We all try to cheer for each other, and obviously having teammates who have your back and cheer you on is what keeps the positive vibes and all around happiness on the court,” Mendieta said. “I think this definitely contributed to our win tonight because on top of every individual having a chance to shine, we were all on the same page of encouraging each other throughout the game.”

The team had previously achieved landslide victories against other teams, but according to Mendieta, this win was especially encouraging as they are in the process of establishing team chemistry with the newer players.

The team has tournaments ahead during winter break, and are aiming to run more offensive plays and work on defense in order to fulfill their goals for the season.

“Next game I hope we focus on running the mat of the gym. We especially have crazy speed this year, so for upcoming games I hope we can continue showing what we got and work on our defense so we can continue crushing every team,” Beltran said.

Redwood’s girls’ varsity basketball team plays their next game on Wednesday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. against Novato High School in Novato High gym.  

Video by Jack Benbow