The RM girls basketball team is now 12-0 after a 63-40 win over Wootton last Friday night. The Rockets were favored well over the Patriots, yet they still shattered expectations with remarkable young talent and all-around collaboration.

Despite their successes, the Rockets did not start the game at peak intensity. Wootton outmatched RM in rebounds and the Rockets lost control of some miscalculated passes. The Patriot shooters fired away outside of the circle, beyond the reach of RM’s man-to-man defensive coverage. Fortunately, senior center Nusaibah Rashad put up shots under the basket to help the Rockets secure the lead, and they held on 13-11 at the end of the quarter.

Teamwork was what finally allowed the Rockets to pull away in the second quarter. Melanie Osborne was on fire from a distance, putting up consecutive three-pointers. Freshman guard Ellie Tounkara moved down the court using her lethal ball-handling skills to get past every defender in her way. With minutes remaining in the half, RM had doubled their points.

The evening’s strategy revolved around shutting down Wootton’s star player, Zoey Goldberg, whose average of 24 points per game rivaled that of Osborne, RM’s offensive powerhouse. RM put seniors Kate Schuck and Deedee Yan to work against Goldberg, and their persistent face-guarding limited her to a meager 15 points.

At the start of the second half, the Rockets broke out their press. Using long passes across the court, RM was able to stretch their lead while the Patriots had their lowest-scoring quarter yet. A surge in energy gave way to fast breaks and quick points, but soon the tense back-and-forth action began to drain both teams. RM and Wootton both rotated in several substitutions, and 10 fresh players took the court.

With 3:45 left in the game, a Patriot defender committed a technical foul, sending both Rashad and freshman Calie Dunn and to the line. Each added a point to their score, and the victory was practically sealed for the Rockets.

With their intimidating 12-0 record, RM has the clear advantage in every match up for the rest of the regular season. However, the Rockets keep up a game-by-game mentality to ensure they never overlook an opponent. “We have to play like we’re the underdogs, because that makes us play better,” said Schuck.

RM will host Quince Orchard at home next Friday night after a week’s break from games. With time to practice and scout their opponent, the Rockets will look to improve to 13-0 over the 5-6-1 Cougars.

Feature photo by Lifetouch