Despite building an early 3-1 lead in the opening minutes of the game, Paly ended the first quarter behind the Titans 15-4 on Jan. 10. Gunn’s momentum built quarter after quarter while Paly struggled to keep up.

Head coach Kevin Blunt said he was disappointed with the lack of effort throughout the game.

“We played lackluster,” Blunt said, “we left a lot out there.”

Sophomore small forward Eleanor Wells said she thought the team was not mentally prepared for the highly anticipated game. 

“Going into the game, we wanted to bring energy and competition,” Wells said. “I think we had energy but weren’t in the game mentally.”

Junior shooting guard Katie McCue said the team struggled with pressure from the last game and could not focus on the current game. 

“That combination (of pressure) was harmful and it was really hard to shake off those nerves,” McCue said.

Blunt said the team has struggled to use their practice skills in game, such as offensive tactics to break the other team’s full-court press. 

“We were able to work on our press break,” Blunt said, “It worked at times, but not enough to sustain and win a game.”

Wells said the team’s problems go deeper than plays. She said the team struggles with its low number of players, as there were only eight at the game. 

“We don’t have a lot of players on the team, so we don’t have many subs,” Wells said. “We get tired pretty quick.”

Blunt said the team also struggled with the physicality Gunn brought to the game. 

“They triple teamed my best players,” Blunt said. “They were really physical.”

Looking forward, the team aims to work on their cooperation.

Wells said, “In the future, I hope we are able to execute our plays better and have more team chemistry.”