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Game Recap: Wayland girls basketball loses home opener
Credit: Charlotte Thirman
Senior Anjali Patel prepares to shoot a free throw. The entire game was full of fouls, leading to many opportunities. In the end, Wayland lost 41-28 against Bedford.
The Wayland girls varsity basketball team was looking for a win to start their season off on a positive note. On Tuesday, Dec. 14, the Warriors played the Bedford Buccaneers at home and lost 41-28. The score does not reflect the aggressive and determined Wayland performance throughout the game.
Both Wayland and Bedford played extremely aggressively. In total, there were 12 Wayland fouls and 18 Bedford fouls, causing the game to be very stop and go. Wayland took advantage of the fouls called and ended up making 12 of their foul shots.
Wayland came out strong, pressuring the ball and forcing multiple turnovers. They were able to attack with the ball, creating a positive trend throughout the game. Even through all their hard work, Bedford got the advantage early in the game, ending the first half up with a score of 30-14.
Even though they were losing, the student section stayed consistent and loud throughout the entire game. Parents, friends and more stayed through the game, cheering on the team as they tried to fight back.
The fans and coaches encouraged the girls to continue on and never give up hope. The scoring was led by senior captain Haley Melvin, senior Anjali Patel and freshman Annie McQuilkin.
Melvin, a four year varsity player, played some of her best basketball on opening night. She had multiple three-pointers, keeping Bedford on their toes when she had the ball outside the arc. She was given many opportunities by her teammates and helped create chances for others as well.
Those on the team that didn’t lead in points were still massively helpful. Senior captain Sammy Johnson had multiple steals, leading to assists for her teammates. Although Wayland didn’t win, it still helped change the game.
In addition to stealing, Johnson chased down and blocked the other teams’ shots on multiple occasions, slowing the Bedford down on offense.
In the end the Warriors lost, but there is a lot of good to recognize in the Warriors’ performance. They put a lot of pressure on Bedford, especially for their first game. Currently, Wayland sits at 0-2, looking for their first win Jan. 11 against Concord Carlisle.
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Bella Schreiber, Class of 2025, is the managing editor and a fourth year reporter for WSPN. In the spring she is a member of the varsity softball team...
Charlotte Thirman, Class of 2023, is a third year reporter for WSPN and co-editor of multimedia. She plays on the school’s field hockey team. Outside...