Girls basketball earns last-second win
Grace Mueller and Mia Patel, seniors, walk back on defense.
A gym full of students, parents and faculty stood with their eyes on the girls basketball players, as the Homestead Highlanders and Cedarburg Bulldogs headed into overtime tied 55-55. With 10 seconds remaining, Zoe Mueller, freshman, caught the ball, running to the end of the court to shoot a layup. The ball makes it in with 2 seconds left, scoring a victory for Homestead as the stands erupt.
During the Friday, Dec. 7 game, the Highlanders trailed in the first period. Coming out of halftime, the team took charge, adding points on the home side of the scoreboard and focusing on communication on the court.
In those exciting final seconds, the girls varsity basketball team claimed its third game victory with a score of 57-55. With only the season just beginning, the girls are focusing hard on the game and on their commitment to the team both on and off the court.
“We’re still trying to figure out what we are as a team and how to grow and work together,” Grace Mueller, senior, said.
As they work on finding their dynamic, they’re also concentrated on welcoming newcomers from all different grades. The team gained five new faces this year, including Khendel Rolison, junior, Stella Kim, sophomore, Zoe Mueller, Delaney Buzzell and Kate Judd, freshman.
For Rolison, this wasn’t her first time stepping onto the court. Rolison transferred to Homestead from Cedarburg, making Friday night’s game close to the heart.
“I’ve been playing my whole life. My dad started me out, so this game means a lot to me,” Rolison said. ” I thought the transfer was going to be a lot harder, but I got really close with the team right away, which helped a lot going into the school year.”
A team can only be as strong as its bond, which the girls take are making top priority. From summer workouts to team dinners, the girls are implementing many different activities to help them connect with each other.
“We hang outside of practice a lot and whenever we see each other in the hallways we always say hi. We constantly support and motivate each other. We’re best friends,” Mia Patel, senior, said.
The team now looks ahead to numerous competitors, but they’ve established their goals and are ready to fight for the championship.
“We have two goals for the season: one is conference champions and the other is regional champions,” McKenna Marotta said.
Mueller also looks forward to her last year on the team before playing for Minnesota State University. She recently committed to play and is giving her all for her final year of Homestead basketball.
“I’m really excited to be on the court for the last team with my teammates, but I’m also really sad,” Mueller said.
If last night’s game is any indication, it could be an exciting season for the girls and Coach Corey Wolf.
Sasha Shapsis is a senior at Homestead, and this is her third year on Advanced Publications. In room 405, she’s busy indexing yearbook, taking photos,...
