On Monday, Feb. 10, the Archie Williams girls varsity basketball team took the court against The Branson School Bulls in the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) quarterfinals. The game took place at the College of Marin Kentfield campus, where the Bulls, in fourth place, hosted the Falcons, who were in fifth place. The score was close for the majority of the game, but Branson prevailed, with the score ending 29-36.
From the tip-off, both teams maintained high intensity and drove towards the basket with intent. The first quarter was low scoring, proving that both team’s defenses showed up to play. This quarter was evenly matched as there were three different lead changes throughout. This defensive quarter ended with a score of 6-8, in favor of the Bulls. Archie Williams Head Coach Ed Wiltz discussed picking it up in practice in order to prepare for their future games.
“I think we have to pick up the energy [in practice], and that is going to translate into games,” Wiltz said.
In the second quarter, the shots finally started to fall for the Bulls. From the start,the Bulls made three straight shots from beyond the arc, leading them to an 0-11 run, shifting the score to 6-19. However, near the end of the quarter, the Falcons were able to hit a few shots of their own, finishing the half down 21-13.
In the third quarter, both teams were scoring back and forth, not allowing any team to go on any major scoring runs. Near the end of the quarter, junior Reese Patton hit a three-pointer, cutting the lead for Branson down to five points. But the Bulls scored two more baskets right at the end, ending the quarter 21-29.
“I think we have the skills to beat them, but I think at this point it’s more of a mental game,” Reese said.
The fourth quarter started with high pressure and intensity from the Falcons, which they needed if they wanted to make a comeback. The team went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead down to three points with five minutes remaining in the game. However, despite the effort from Archie Williams to cut the lead down, the Bulls were able to finish out the game and win, leaving the score at 29-36. Senior Delphina Dong discussed a previous game in the season against the Bulls that may have affected their performance in this one.
“I think because we played and we lost by a lot [early in the season], there was a lot of pressure, and I think nerves got to us,” Delphina said.
