On Nov. 25, Aragon Girls Basketball (1-1 overall) lost 37-67 in a preseason skirmish against Lick-Wilmerding (1-1 overall). Having attained a 17-10 record overall and a 6-4 record in league the previous year, the Tigers proved a formidable opponent against the Dons.
“For playing a really amazing team like Lick, we played our hardest and tried to get better off of our mistakes,” said shooting guard Jaclyn Ruttenberg.
Gaining an 18-9 lead over the Dons in the first quarter, the Tigers started off strong and took control of the game. While the Dons continued pushing for the remainder of the quarter, they were unable to keep up with Lick.
The Tigers continued their onslaught in the second quarter, widening the lead to sixteen points by halftime with the score set at 19-35.
“Our shots just weren’t falling tonight,” said head coach Hala’ufia. “But it was all just to learn where we’re at right now, and push towards league play in January.”
While the game revealed areas of improvement for the team, it also emphasized the close bond that the Dons already have.
“I know the team will always have my back,” said senior and captain Sofia Dioli. “I know they’ll always be cheering me on and tell me to keep shooting — and that’s something that has really kept me going.”
Though the Dons were able to score eight more points by the end of the third quarter, they were ultimately bested by the Tigers as the buzzer sounded, the final score being 37-67.
“For the past few seasons, I would always struggle with getting super nervous and I found it hard to focus,” said Dioli. “I’ve definitely been working on staying calm and focused on what I’m trying to do.”
Sophomore Jaclyn Ruttenberg pointed out other points for improvement.
“Our two main ones are defense and rebounding,” Ruttenberg said. “We have a structured system to emphasize those two and I definitely think we can get better this year.”
The girls will look to bolster their strengths and improve play in preparation for their next game tonight at 6 p.m. at King’s Academy.
