The JV girls’ basketball team emerged victorious with a record of 7-0 after facing out-of-city opponents in their preseason games.

Wins against Gunn, Pinewood, Burlingame, San Mateo, Oakland Tech and El Camino high schools in the first two months of the preseason prepared the team for the AAA season, which starts in January. “We use scrimmages to work on our weaknesses, such as communication,” head coach Christine Hosoda said.

With a championship title to defend, Hosoda takes on a big role as the girls’ head coach, according to Lesaguis. Hosoda pushes the girls to practice hard the moment they step onto the court. She also intends to drill the girls on talking to each other during games in order to achieve successful plays. “We need to work on being supportive and giving encouraging advice to one another,” sophomore shooting guard and captain Maxine Lui said.

Similar to previous head coach Catherine Christensen, Hosoda creates a supportive atmosphere for the team. “She makes us feel welcome and comfortable to be part of the team,” Lui said. “She also gives each of us a chance to prove ourselves and contribute to the team.”

The girls are working with Hosoda to strengthen the team before the season starts. “Coach Hosoda’s style is quite different because she goes back to the basics,” sophomore power forward Polly Lesaguis said. “She breaks down all the fundamentals to make sure we do them correctly.”

The team may seem inexperienced with only two returning sophomores this season, Lui and Lesaguis, but many of the freshman players have club basketball experience that contributes to the team. “The freshmen this year are very talented and aggressive,” Lui said. “They are all well-rounded players who can be very versatile and help out wherever we need them.” The Asian American basketball league, a popular club basketball league that many girls on the JV team are a part of during off-season, gave them prior experience and an advantage when try-outs were in session.

Hosoda’s assessment of the team’s strengths include its quickness on defense and hustle on the court, which brings favorable results during games. The team’s skills allow them to receive easy fastbreak points, also known as lay-ups, from blundering opponents. Their enthusiasm for the sport brightens the competitive atmosphere of games and makes practices run smoothly. “They enjoy playing and it shows on the court,” Hosoda said.

As captain of the team, Lui is expected to raise team spirit and instill motivation in her teammates. “I try to push my teammates and lead, but also be supportive so they are comfortable with me and know they can come to me with anything,” Lui said. Lui also works with Lesaguis to help the freshmen on the team. As role models of the team, the two returning players bring a maturity level and heart to the team, according to Hosoda.

With a demanding season ahead of them, the team will work on all that they can to improve their game play. “My expectations for this team is to simply build a stronger chemistry so that we can all push one another to play our best during games — even practices,” Lesaguis said.

This article first appeared in the Dec. 10, 2010 issue of The Lowell.