Shoes squeaked as the ball pounded the ground, in an energetic rhythm — the beat of basketball.

Due to the team’s dedication and hard work, head coach and physical education teacher Christine Hosoda is noticing positive changes in the team both individually and as a group. “I think that we have seen many more improvements recently in terms of the team aspect,” Hosoda said. “Individually, everyone has improved on the defensive end.”

However, despite their progress Hosoda has higher expectations for the team. “I want us by the end of the season to be vocal on the court and learn to listen to one another — eventually we will be fundamentally sound basketball players,” Hosoda said.

Assistant coach and social studies teacher Matthew Magasanay also sees a dramatic upswing since the beginning of the season. “They have improved not only in their skills, but also communication, control, and team work. We’ve had a lot of competitive matches in our non-conference season and it helped us a lot in the regular season,” Magsanay said.

The team has also seen their progress in teamwork. “We improved on our listening skills and communicating skills. We spoke and helped each other and gave each other constructive criticism,” freshman guard Allyson Lui said.

Despite the fact that the girls have enhanced their basketball skills, they are still motivated to set more goals. “On offense we could work on finishing shots and getting a good shot off before the shot clock runs down to ten seconds,” sophomore forward guard GG Gunther said.

The girls have been playing hard, working towards their goals for this season. “As a team we want to improve our decision making and playing smart by working on executing our plays and adjusting to what the defense gives us,” freshman forward guard Karina Garzona said.

In order to improve on their defensive and offensive skills the team practices specific movements that will pay off on the court. “One technique we use is when a person is dribbling we use our feet to force them side to side,” Gunther said. “For offense, we’re always ready to shoot the ball and not just pass. We do shooting drills and also lay-up drills.”

The team has had to deal with disadvantages, such as opponents near the height of 6 feet. But they show heart. “Because even though we’re on the shorter side, we also play with such intensity that others are always impressed with us,” Magsanay said.

Cheer the girls on at 3:30 p.m. today at Kezar as they rise up to fight the school’s traditional rivals, the Washington Eagles, in the annual Battle of the Birds.

A version of this article first appeared in the Jan. 27, 2012 print edition of The Lowell.