By Darina Huang ’23
Student Writer/Photographer, Bearcat Sports Media

Girls Varsity Basketball hosted rivals Taft on Saturday, February 11, and emerged victorious, with a final score of 48-35. They continued their 13-game winning streak and added to their impressive 15-1 record with the support of a rowdy fan section.

The game began with back-and-forth scoreless possessions before Taft scored a 3-pointer 2 minutes into the period. Kaila Richards ’24 was called for two travels which stopped momentum and turned over the ball. Two minutes later, she put the Bearcats on the scoreboard. In the rest of the period, Richards, Morgan Jenkins ’25, and Biz Watson ’23 drove down the court and made baskets to end the period tied at 8 with the Rhinos. 

Hotchkiss relied on its strong defense to keep the Rhinos from penetrating into the paint and forced them to shoot many 3 pointers. The Bearcats broke away in the second period and did not look back. Richards scored a 3 pointer but Taft answered with one of their own, making it a two point game at 13-11. Jenkins put the ball up, and Amber Bretz ’23 made two free throws. Richards stole the ball from Taft on back-to-back drives, combining with Jenkins and Bretz to score. Jenkins ended the half by scoring a basket and free throw, contributing to Hotchkiss’s 9-point run and a lead at 24-11.

The second half began with Taft scoring a basket, but Richards and Eleanor Helm ’25 followed up with clean 3-pointers. Angel Allen ’24 dodged past three defenders to score a layup with two minutes to go in the period. The Bearcats’ strong all-around team effort resulted in a 42-17 lead at the end of the period.

In the final minutes of the game, the visitors found momentum and scored 18 points compared to Hotchkiss’ 6, ending the game 48-35. The team will look to continue its streak through the next four games leading up to the NEPSAC tournament.