| Varsity girls' basketball breaks Eagle curse (2/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Anthony Clay | |
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“Big games are usually hyped up,” Los Angeles Laker coach Phil Jackson said. “You win big games by beating the hype. You beat the hype by having composure.” The girls’ varsity basketball players have exemplified Jackson’s words. A display of composure was all it took to beat the hype and their cross 19th Avenue rivals, Lincoln, on Feb. 5. Coming into the game, both teams were undefeated and pumped. Though a large portion of the spotlight was on the sophomore point-guard battle between Lowell’s Kristina Lum and Lincoln’s Hailie Menesses, the biggest concern for the Cardinals was the health of star and top scorer senior Heather Chow, who was plagued with the flu coming into the game. However, the senior shook this off and battled for her team, showing leadership and heart. As in most games this season, the Cards’ aggressive defense and run-and-gun offense led them to victory. The clear winner of the point-guard showdown, the ever-so-reliable Lum, led the Cardinals with 16 points, on the way to dishing out Lincoln their first loss of the season, 53-46, and taking their rightful place atop the AAA — as the only undefeated team. Earlier in the season, the Cardinals joined an impressive group of sports teams that made their imprint in sports history. In 2004, the Lowell varsity boys’ basketball team broke a 53-year-old curse of not winning the city championship. In 2005, the Boston Red Soxs broke an 86-year-old curse of not winning the World Series. In 2007, the Golden State Warriors broke a 13-year-long curse of not making the playoffs. On Jan. 18, 2008, a new curse was broken: the four-year curse of the varsity girls’ basketball team not winning Battle of the Birds. “This game was extremely important for us,” senior forward Anna Bukareva said. We knew we hadn’t won Battle of the Birds for years, but this year we came in with more confidence, and we knew we couldn’t let this game go.” This confidence was very apparent as the girls jumped on the Eagles early with quick transition breaks led by lightning-quick guards Lum and Chow. If the fast break wasn’t available, the Cardinals settled into their offense and got easy looks at the basket almost every time. The Cardinals also employed a “five-at-a-time” substitution method, substituting a whole line-up every seven minutes. This strategy makes it hard for opposing teams to adjust — ensuring that every player on the team poses a threat. Though some consider this strategy a double-edged sword, as it sometimes doesn’t allow for the players to get into any rhythm, Washington felt only the sharpest and most potent end of this sword, their tired players watching wave after wave of quick and fresh Cardinal players run by. Though junior center Jessi Maio had a game-high 14 points, the Cardinals had seven players score. A whole list of defensive specialists, most notably aggressive and quick sophomore Amanda Chow, backs up the arsenal of offensive weapons showcased at Battle of the Birds. “Coming into the game we had a team defensive strategy which was to force them sideline and not allow them to kick to open shooters,” Amanda Chow said. “I was just following this game plan.” With the combination of intense defense and full-throttle offense, the Cardinals were too much for the Eagles to handle, blazing their way to a 51-35 victory. “When that final buzzer sounded, the feeling was amazing,” Lum said. It’s February Madness in the AAA, which means playoffs. Come out and see the versatile team at 3:45 today at Lowell against Thurgood Marshall High School. |
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