The first quarter began with a rough start for the Bruins, with the Lakers scoring the first point of the game. Soon after the Bruins followed, getting two points via junior Simone Walker. Between Walker, senior Cora Smith and senior Tatye Higgins, the Bruins continued to push themselves up to the lead, with a grand total of 19-14 by the end of the quarter. Walker states that making baskets makes her feel good about herself and that she “always wants to try and help” the team.

“When I’m scoring points, it helps out the team,” Walker said. “It also kind of helps me build my own confidence and I just feel a lot better about myself personally. So, I like to score points for myself and for my team.”

As the second quarter began, the Lakers scored three points. With many fouls coming into play, the Bruins used this to their advantage, with Walker racking up three points, Higgins two and Smith three. The Bruins continued their winning streak, setting the total score at 38–22.

The third quarter began with the Lakers attaining three more points. The round continued to act the same as the last quarter, with Smith and Walker getting baskets for the team. As junior Ann Volmert rushed to the goal from a rebound, Volmert threw the ball to Higgins who then successfully landed the ball in the hoop. This marked two more points for the Bruins, ending the quarter at 66-24. Due to powerful offense from the Bruins, they ended another quarter in the lead. Head Coach of the RBHS girls’ basketball team, Jill Nagel, thought that her team had a slow start when it came to scoring points.

“You have a game plan going in, and there’s times where you have to make adjustments as the game goes on,” Nigel said. “I thought our kids did a great job of recognizing what those were and really settled in late [in the] first quarter and then that second and third quarter were just a really good defensive display and we made our offense come from our defense.”

In the fourth quarter of the game, the Bruins continued their repetition, with Smith and Walker continuing to raise the team higher on the scoreboard. Sophomore Hayden Fick, similar to Volmert, runs to the goal, throwing an overhead shot towards the hoop. This put the Bruins at 71 points in total. The Lakers attempted to score before the round was over, however the game was closed before they could make a goal. The final scoreboard was set at 71-36. Nigel believes that the offensive play could be improved upon and “make sure that they are sharp” with their execution.

“We gave up a few offensive rebounds to them that were some putbacks. And going forward as we get ready to go to districts, those things have to be shored up because at that point it’s win or go home and you don’t get a second chance at it,” Nigel said. “I would definitely say making sure that we’re securing those rebounds, getting good box outs, and then just cleaning some things up on the offensive side [could be worked on].”

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