After many strong preseason games, the girls basketball team lost 52-50 in their first game of the winter season against the Mira Costa Mustangs, who have won every season game for the past two seasons.

   The Warriors put up a tough fight and never fell too far behind. Throughout the game, both the captains and Coach Caporaso encouraged the girls to do their best. Nicole Nitake (11) explained, “The team went into this game with great energy and a positive attitude. We were ready to get the season off to a great start.” The Warriors stayed strong during the first half and stayed in the lead, 28-19.

   Throughout the second half, West struggled to keep the lead and quickly fell behind. Towards the end of the fourth quarter, the game was tied 52-50 with the Mustangs winning. The Warrior’s perseverance was apparent as Kelsey Ishigo (12) made a potential 3-point shot which barely fell short. Although she missed the final shot, she scored a total of 8 points in the match. Ishigo also commented, “Of course I was disappointed in my shot, but I think the team worked well throughout the game. We did better than last year, but we always have more to improve on.”

   Even though they lost, the team had plenty to be proud of. Kaitlyn Kung (12) scored the most, with a total of 15 points. She noted, “The loss was bittersweet because we lost, but we also played really well. One thing we need to work on before our next game is our rebounding, though.” The next game is on Tuesday, January 18th at Redondo, while the next home game is Friday, January 21st against Leuzinger.