NDCL Girls basketball is about to have a huge year! With starters Ava Baeslach, Melissa Brownlee, Emily Foley, Bree Hill, and (other starters) working together with the bench to secure many victories. Senior Mellissa Brownlee is expected to have a huge year, not only offensively but defensively. Senior Emily Foley is coming back from injury; from the looks of it, it will significantly impact the team. Her quick-thinking skills and ability to drain the three when needed will lead to the team’s success. Senior Ava Baeslach is expected to have a big year under the hoop and around the three-point line. Ava is committed to playing basketball at the next level at Saint Vincent College. Senior Bree Hills is expected to have a massive year under the hoop with her skills and smooth moves; the 2022-23 team is stacked. Coming off the bench, there are Tarah Popik, Alex Znidarsic, Maddy Martin, Sophia Rowan, and Lexie Simon.

The lady lions have worked hard all summer and pre-season to make the team chemistry click. Running hard and a little zone on defense to a five-out with a few overloads, the lady lions will be hard to beat. The effort and heart these ladies have put into the sport are sure to show both on and off the court.

Our future looks secure. The JV ladies have been working and preparing to reach the next level. They have excellent team chemistry, which leads to their great offense and defense. Lastly, the Freshman team will need to put in some work but are in a perfect spot to start the season. The team has been working hard in the gym and the weight room.

None of this would be possible without the fantastic coaching staff that the ladies have. Coach John works hard to ensure all the girls have the time of their lives by still making the ladies have fun while putting in the practice time. This season will be significant for the girls, with eight seniors impacting the court. I am so excited to see where this season leads. The one goal of the season is to push their way to make states. We are all sending good luck to the Lady Lions in their upcoming season!

*UPDATE* – THE HOME OPENER:
The girls’ basketball home opener did not go as planned. The Lancers took down the Lions with a score of 57-32. The Lions had prepared all week for the home opener but sadly did not come out on top by the end of the game. The junior varsity team did come out with the win by winning by one point over time. The energy in the gym was ecstatic as they went back and forth to come out on top with the win. Both varsity and junior varsity have been practicing hard and working out in the weight room, preparing for the season’s first game. Now on to the varsity game. The Lions started slow and never gained the lead the whole game. The Lancers came out strong with a press and a fast offense. They drove and kicked to throw off Lion’s defense and make them leave gaps for the Lancers to score. The Lions were working so hard to try and get the lead, but the information in the first quarter was kept throughout the whole game. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions had a huge lead over the Lancers. There is nothing left to say. The Lancers killed the Lions and are now preparing for the next fight against the lancers at Gilmour.