The Junior Varsity girls basketball team took the court Jan. 11 against Sports Leadership & Management (SLAM) Miami. After a tough fight, Heritage fell short of the win by ten points, suffering a 44-34 loss.
Despite the loss, the girls displayed strong teamwork throughout the game. Seventh grader Isabella Aloisio played stellar defense, causing numerous turnovers, many of which she’d pass up the court to a teammate for the assist. Freshman Assata Stoudemire caught many of Aloisio’s passes and finished them with a swish. Freshman Jaelene Green and eighth grader Sarah-Renee Ingraham also added points to the scoreboard.
JH boys basketball coach, Coach Charlie McClain, watched the girls play from the sidelines. “The game’s going really well. We’re a few points behind, but we’re still in it and it’s still early. We will come back,” McClain said a few minutes before halftime.
Although the girls didn’t end up pulling through with the win, McClain mentioned that, from a coaching perspective, it doesn’t really matter as long as the kids are trying their best.
“You have to remember that as a coach, it’s bigger than yourself and it is truly all about the kids. As long as they’re giving their all and working really hard, then I’m okay. It’s when they give up or stop giving their all is when I have an issue with it,” Coach McClain said. “Otherwise, you can’t win them all. If they play hard, give it their all, then hey, sometimes it’s just not your day.”
The girls have the chance to redeem themselves in their next game against Dillard High School this Friday, Jan. 13.
