The Pine Crest girls’ varsity basketball team is off to a very strong start this year in the 2017-2018 season. They have played three games so far and have handled all of their competition. Head coach David O’Connell is leading the Lady Panthers to victory so far in the season.

They hold practices every day after school from 4:00 to 6:00 to do drills and go over plays and strategies for upcoming games. Head coach O’Connell works with the team consistently on the execution of plays to up their game for the season.

This year’s team is filled with plenty of experience. Seniors Maria Ballesteros, Danielle Behar, Sophie Sanda, and Andie Weinberg are working to finish their last year out strong. Along with the seniors, the rest of the team is composed of juniors.

The first game of the season against Chaminade Madonna was a powerful start to the season at home. The girls took a solid lead with a score of 23-2 at the end of the first quarter. They finished the matchup winning by 40 points with a final score of 59-19.

A week later in their matchup with Berean Christian, the Lady Panthers claimed another victory to their record. The game kept close up to the end of the third quarter with a score of 32-27.  With a tight game at the end of the third, the Panthers pulled away in the end with a final score of 44-36.

When asked about the work ethic of the girls’ varsity team, Coach Mike Thompson said, “They are working hard and getting better every day.” Coach Thompson hopes for successful and fun year in this year’s winter sports season.