Last year the Kits beat Loyola in the first round of sectionals, but this Saturday they aren’t going to let the Ramblers get even.

“They are very competitive. They play really hard, and they are very physical,” said coach Elliot Whitefield. “They certainly dont back down to anybody. They really move the ball on offense. If you rest on defense, they’ll take advantage of it and cut right in front of you. Defensively, we’ll have to be fundamentally solid and in great position in order to win this game.”

Senior captains Adrianna and Erica Carter know what it’s like to play for Loyola. The twins played for the team freshman and sophomore year before transferring to ETHS.

“I played with the girls there for two years before I transferred so I’m familiar with their style of play,” said Adrianna. “That should give us an advantage when it comes to how we defend the Ramblers and what offense we run against them.”

The Wildkits have back to back home games this weekend: Friday at 7:30 against Maine South, and Saturday at 4:30 against Loyola. So before the Kits face Loyola, they’re going to have to play a tough Maine South team.

“Maine South executes plays better than anyone in the conference and they know their roles. They are really smart basketball players,” said Whitefield. “We have to take away their first and second options on their plays and make them do things that they aren’t comfortable doing.”

The Kits will especially have to slow down Nina Anderson and Sam Fagenholz, who are among the leading scorers for Maine South.

“Our biggest challenge for this game is being able to run our plays and execute them. We have been struggling with that lately and it has cost us,” said junior Abby Rosenbaum. “Once we get the plays down, I think we will be able to come out strong and stay at our pace for the game, not theirs.”

Coach Whitefield continues to look to his sophomore starters to set the tone for the game, especially sophomore Leighah Wool.

“This is my second year being a starter on varsity, so I’m not as nervous as I was last year. Having experience eases the pressure,” says Wool. “Being such a young team brings a lot of pressure by itself, but we are all ready for the challenge.”

Lately, the Lady Kits have been struggling in conference play, losing to New Trier 43 to 62, and losing to Niles West by 5 points in a thrilling overtime game. Girls basketball will have to play better than ever to get their first conference win over Maine South tonight.