After a strong start, girls varsity basketball beat Gunderson High School 63-25 in their first home game of the season on Monday, Dec. 8.

Head coach Kevin Blunt attributed the win to the team’s preparation.

“I thought we were improving game by game,” Blunt said. “I thought that the girls were ready to go today. They executed, and we came out with the victory.”

Sophomore Eleanor Wells, a point guard, shooting guard and small forward, said the team had great connection during the game.

“I thought today we had very good communication and the team chemistry was really there,” Wells said. “I think our passes were really good, and we were sharing the ball with the freshmen and especially our newcomers, like Maddie — she transferred from MA.”

Wells also said the team’s ball movement and playmaking ability were keys to success.

“One thing we did really well were our passes, for sure, and we ran a lot of our plays,” Wells said. “Before, something we were struggling with was we weren’t running our plays really well, but today, we got in our sets and it really worked.”

In addition, Blunt said intensity is key to the team’s success.

“It’s just playing with energy and effort,” Blunt said. “I’ve been preaching that to the girls because without energy and effort, we can’t set the tone and try to implement what we’re trying to do out there. It’s important that they start with energy and effort so that way we could go out and be aggressive from the beginning to the end.”

But Blunt said maintaining this intensity throughout all four quarters is an area where the team can improve.

“I was looking at our closeouts, boxing out, and just making sure that the way we start the game is how we end the game,” Blunt said. “I’m always preaching that we’re not playing for the first quarter, we’re playing for the fourth quarter because that’s when games are won and lost. So that’s just a model, and we’re going to continue to go that route, and just get in better shape as we go.”

Looking forward, Wells said the team should continue to improve and strive for greatness.

Wells said, “I think that from now on, we know we can build from this, and we can really have this high expectation of how we play.”