In the past few months, the girls’ basketball team has dominated, with a 14-0 district record. The Chaps faced Austin High School in Al Bennett Court Jan. 30, resulting in an immense 66-44 victory.

The game started off with a pass from forward junior Lovie Bien to forward sophomore Tamia King, leading to the game’s first two points. However, the lead ended quickly as Austin took the lead 6-8. To fight this, King landed five more points on the scoreboard throughout the period.

For most of the period, the score went back and forth between the Chaps and the Maroons. The first period ended 17-15 after guard senior Gianna Angiolet scored a three-pointer to take the lead.

“I think we did a really good job on offense and in transition,” Angiolet said. “We’re usually more solid on defense, but we just had an off game, and I think we were able to make up for it.”

The core lineup of Angiolet, King and point guard senior Bella Hesse continued to dominate during the next period, with Hesse and Angiolet both scoring two baskets each. While the Chaps outmaneuvered the Maroons well, their defense still struggled a bit as Austin slipped past to score a three-pointer. The first half of the game ended with the Chaps up 32-24.

During the game’s third quarter, the team’s defense significantly improved, as they only allowed six points during its duration. At one point in the match, the gymnasium’s crowd began to chant “defense,” and in a flash, the Chaps stole the ball from Austin’s offense, letting Hesse land an easy two-pointer.

Later, Hesse scored another 2-pointer to end the period, establishing herself as the MVP of the third quarter, as it ended 49-30.

To close the game, the Chaps put up a strong offensive effort in the final eight minutes. Right out of the gate, King passed to Angiolet to score a three-pointer. Later in the quarter, Angiolet returned with another 3-pointer, bringing the score to a huge 57-30 lead. Austin improved on offense to fill the score gap, but ultimately failed to catch up. The final score stands at 66-44, all thanks to the team’s strong offense and their significant defensive improvement.

“We played with a lot of intensity, and in the second half I think we played really solid defensively. Offensively we were the same [in both halves,]” head coach Vickie Benson said.

The next girls basketball varsity game is against Bowie High School Feb. 2, 7:30 p.m, and will serve as the second-to-last game of the regular season.