The Kempsville High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball team played in their second match of the 2014-2015 season on December 3, 2014, but were unable to overcome the Dolphins of Ocean Lakes High School. The match took place in their home court at Kempsville High. Winning their first match against the Frank W. Cox Falcons, they were excited to hit the court once more. Through their loss, they still tried their hardest until the final sound of the buzzer.

A strong start is needed to maintain a strong finish. This is the main lesson the team can take away from this game. 22 of the 70 points the Dolphins scored were scored in the first quarter alone. Had those points not been scored, the game would have been a mere 7 points in difference. The second quarter did not look much better, ending 11-39. However, the Chiefs doubled their previous score in the third quarter. The third quarter ended 22-57, with Ocean Lakes still in the lead. The Dolphins’ 11 fouls in the second half were an advantage to the Chiefs. Both the fouls and amped offense of the Chiefs in the fourth quarter led to a final score of 41-70.

The Chiefs’ main strength is their defense. While the score may make it seem otherwise, but the Dolphins could have scored twice the amount of points had it not been for the Chiefs. The star athlete for the Chiefs in this match was #22, Sophomore Yanna Owens. Owens scored 17 of the Chiefs’ 41 points. Others who scored were #23, Jada Jones, #33, Santana Griffin, #21, Chelse Thompson, and #44, Tatiana Walker.

Mr. Greg Dunn, the coach of the team, offered his input and goals for the team during this season. His main concern is how young the team is. Though their lack of experience will cause struggle at times, he believes they have talent and will be very competitive by the end of the season. When asked about his favorite part of coaching, Dunn responded, “I’ve been coaching for over 35 years. I enjoy practices, I enjoy watching a team come together on and off the court, and I enjoy the competition of the games.” Coach Dunn’s message to his athletes is to take each day as it comes, take losses the same way as wins, and to keep working hard no matter what because it will pay off. Coach Dunn’s message to other coaches is to be both prepared for the unexpected and very organized.

The athletes have reasons of their own for why they like being on the team. #25, Gabrielle Coltrane, says that she enjoys the unity and knowing someone has your back. Both Coltrane and #44, Tatiana Walker, say they have gotten valuable leadership and teamwork skills from playing basketball. From the pre-game pep-talks to the heat of the game, Coltrane put it best in saying that this team’s main focus is unity.