![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
The Phoenix girls basketball team hosted the Heritage Pride on Jan. 18. The Phoenix ended the game down 49-27, but still played strong throughout the contest, consistently being aggressive on both sides of the court.
During the first quarter of the game, the Phoenix showed remarkable skill by scoring several baskets early on, creating a large gap between them and the Pride. However, with a few minutes left on the clock, it was obvious that the Pride were catching up. The score was 9-7, with the Phoenix in the lead. However, with about two minutes left on the clock, the Pride had successfully caught up and tied with the Phoenix. By the end of the first quarter, the Phoenix were down 18-11. Freshman Simone Diby was the highest-scoring player for the Phoenix, scoring three baskets and one free throw, tying with the Pride’s highest-scoring player.
The second quarter, however, proved to be less successful for the Phoenix. By the end of the half, the Pride had scored 23 more points, leaving the Phoenix behind for a half-time score of 41-11. “The whole second quarter [was difficult], because some people couldn’t get the ball up the court or they let the defender take the ball from them,” senior Cora Bowen said.
After halftime, the Phoenix started to gain traction once again, their momentum fueled by communication and cooperation. “We had a talk before the third quarter, and we all collectively agreed we had to try harder,” said Bowen. “All of us as a team put in more effort.”
With the new energy, Diby scored an easy basket and Bowen made a clean 3-pointer. With 56 seconds left on the clock, Bowen took advantage of a foul to score two more free throws. Despite their efforts, the Phoenix still remained behind by the start of fourth quarter, with the score being 47-18.
The fourth quarter saw a promising start with the Phoenix immediately scoring two points. They continued to score points consistently throughout the quarter and scored a total of nine points, compared to the Pride’s gain of two points.
Out of those nine, freshman Eryn Chemoiwa scored six free throws, making her the highest-scoring player of the last quarter. About four minutes into the quarter, Chemoiwa and Diby also worked together to score an easy bucket.
Nonetheless, as the final buzzer sounded, the Phoenix were still down 49-27. “I feel like we tried hard,” Diby said. “It was the first day back for people with injuries and stuff like that, but I think we played as hard as we could.”
After the game, Coach Gordon Neal reflected with the team on their performance on the court. “Coach sits us down and talks to us after the game, and we talk about what we need to work on for next time, and what we did well,” junior Soam Mansoor said.
