Dominating during senior night In their last home game of the season against Barbara Goleman, the Lady Cavaliers secured a 48-8 victory

BY VALENTINA ARAUJO, STAFF WRITER

ON THURSDAY, JAN.12, THE Lady Cavaliers basketball team played their very last home game against Barbara Goleman Senior High School and celebrated their senior night. Channeling their energy from previous victories, the ladies stepped onto the court ready to secure a final home victory.

“We look forward to a great game and encourage everyone to come out and support our seniors in their last home game,” coach Lisa Nanninga said before the game.

Once the first quarter began, Goleman won the jump ball, giving them the first possession. The Lady Cavaliers remained firm and focused, and soon after, stole the ball before Goleman could score. In an attempt to regain possession, Goleman tipped the ball out of bounds. Once the ball was inbounded, the Cavaliers made a few passes, leading senior guard Isabella Morales to make the first basket of the game with a two-pointer, giving the Cavaliers a 2-0 lead.

Goleman had good ball movement but the Cavalier defensive prowess overtook them. Due to their great communication and blocking skills, the first quarter was a success for Gables as they ended it with a lead of 6-5.

“The first quarter was very different from the other three mainly because we were still getting used to playing with an audience, but after a couple minutes we got the hang of things,” senior center Gloria Arce said.

The Cavaliers started the second quarter with possession of the ball since Goleman won the jump ball at the beginning of the first quarter. With the Lady Cavs consistently jumping for defensive rebounds, they were able to make fast breaks and score quick points. Meanwhile, the audience cheered them on and showed great school spirit coupled with the animated chants of the cheerleaders. With 45 seconds left in the second quarter, Gables had a comfortable lead 17-5. Basket after basket, free throw after free throw, the second quarter came to an end with a score of 19-5, Goleman trailing behind by 14 points.

“I’m not even the biggest sports person but the game had me hooked,” junior Katelyn Mesa said. “I was really feeling the tension in the second quarter; it was like I couldn’t look away.”

As the third quarter approached, the Cavaliers and coach Nanninga reflected on their performance in the first half. Nanninga went over all of their strategies for staying focused on their opponents’ plays and reinforcing their own. When the loud speaker blared, signaling the end of halftime, the team gathered and chanted before stepping on the court to begin the second half.

After eight entertaining minutes for the fans, the Lady Cavaliers maintained the lead, scoring 12 points in the third quarter. Quickly transitioning into the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers began their last quarter at home with a positive mindset and a big lead against their opponents. Ending with a final score of 48-8, the Cavaliers lined up next to Goleman to shake hands and demonstrate good sportsmanship.

The Lady Cavaliers ended the game with a smile on their faces as everyone cheered and congratulated the seniors for winning their last home game. The post-game senior night festivities included the seniors Gloria Arce, Melanie Garcia, Isabella Morales and Audrey Simon walking down the gym with their families as they received their own speech from principal Tony Ullivari. They all received flowers, crowns and posters from their families, friends and the Lady Cavaliers junior varsity team for all the great things they have accomplished during their time on the basketball team.

“The team did really well and it was great to see so much support from the fans. There was a lot of growth as a team this year and it really showed,” parent Lemay Arce said.