By Bella Coulter

The PA girls’ basketball team crushed it in Tuesday’s game against Ocean Lakes, with a score of 96-7. Freshman Zakiya Stephenson was the highest scorer of the game, putting 15 points on the board.

According to captain Yanna James, the disparity between the teams came down to the girls’ endurance.

“We have better stamina, so we weren’t tired. The other team were really tired, so it was easy to outrun them and make easy layups,” she said. 

Their incredible stamina comes from a series of rigorous practices, with a combination of cardio and endurance training. They start off with eight-minute runs with weight vests on, move to stretches, and then nonstop 10-minute drills. The drills consist of running back and forth across the court repeatedly, simulating the reality of a game.

“It helps us with our energy. Since we go back and forth nonstop, it helps us with the game when we have to go back and forth, defense, offense,” said James.

This year in particular, the varsity team is faced with the challenge of a younger set of players. There are only three seniors; meanwhile there are five juniors and five underclassmen.

“I wouldn’t say its hard but it’s just different because we have to tell them what not to do or helping them get better at what they do,” James said. 

Tuesday night, the underclassmen had several opportunities to play, being cheered on from the sidelines by their senior teammates.

As for the game itself, there was no shortage of highlights for the PA girls. Because of their incredible performance, Coach Darnell Dozier offered a new challenge, which the girls easily dominated.

“Coach Dozier told us to just shoot threes, so we were making threes,” said James. 

The girls prepared for this game like any other, running their tough practices and playing their best.

“We just went out there and played,” James said.

This win marks their fourth win, making them 3-0 in the region, and 4-0 overall and ranked No. 1 in the region. Their next game will be at Kempsville on Tuesday, December 17.