After beating bitter rivals New Trier in both encounters last year, ETHS Girls Basketball fell 49-41 to the Trevians on Friday night. The game remained tight throughout, as it was not until the final minute that a team managed more than a five-point lead.

The Kits entered the fourth quarter down 37-36. Both teams defended well to begin the final frame. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Kits hadn’t scored yet and the Trevians had only extended their lead to 39-36. 

The game would truly begin to slip away from the Kits’ grasp when New Trier’s senior guard Anna Rivera intercepted junior Havana Van Wyk’s pass and drove to the rim to give the Trevians a two-score lead. Seconds later, Rivera would get another steal and bucket, silencing the Kits fans inside of Beardsley. Then, Sophomore Victoria Waiscott hit the dagger from the top of the key, putting the Trevians up 46-41 in the final minute. In the final minute, the Trevians avoided Kit’s foul attempts and ran out the clock in an anticlimactic fashion.

A large part of the Trevians’ aggression was their very high press, allowing them to force the Kits into making mistakes in their backcourt. Even when the Kits were able to find openings, they often failed to convert them, hitting only 34% and 33% from the field and three-point line, respectively. 

“We shot very poorly today because we just weren’t physically or mentally prepared for the game,” commented Head Coach Brittany Johnson making reference to the lack of practice time due to final exams taking place throughout the week.

Johnson also acknowledged that her team’s lack of experience hurt the Kits throughout the night. Over the course of the night, seven freshmen and sophomores took to the court for the Kits. This inexperience may have been a key factor in the Kits’ 20 turnovers as well as the entire team tiring out toward the end, allowing the Trevians to hold on. 

“It is very simple, turnovers destroyed us,” said Johnson.

One freshman who did impress Kits fans throughout the night was Freshman Charity Bryant, who juked out Trevian defenders throughout the night and led the team in scoring with 15 points.

“We communicated well throughout the game, but our defense broke down on some key plays even though we planned for them,” stated Bryant after the game.

The team has an immediate chance to bounce back as they face out-of-conference Guilford today. The Kits will also get a chance for revenge against New Trier later in the season when the two teams face off again on January 31.