On Friday, February 28, the Girls Varsity Basketball team demolished the GFA team 76-55 for the title of FAA champions. Early in the second quarter, SLS pulled ahead with a ten-point lead that continued to increase over the course of the game.

Sophomore Caroline Lau ‘22 faced heavy defensive pressure but still managed to be the top scorer. Though there were multiple highlights in the game, Caroline’s basketball expertise contributed to the best play of the game. Late in the third quarter, Caroline’s offensive technique caused her defender to stumble and fall on the ground, “breaking her ankles.” Caroline then drilled a three-pointer from close to half court. After the play, the crowd went crazy and displayed the support fans give to the team. The play caught the eye of ESPN and was featured in Sportscenter’s “Top 10 Plays” of the day early on Saturday morning. The student section even had a chant dedicated to Caroline; after she made a three, everyone would erupt into the chorus of “Sweet Caroline.”

In the girls’ semi-final game against Sacred Heart on Wednesday, Summer Klein ‘20 sprained her ankle, and it was unclear if she would play on Friday. However, Summer was able to recover quickly and racked up 11 points in the championship game. She said that “winning another title as a senior means the world.”

Similar to the boys’ game on Thursday, the student section was loud and lively. Summer added that “the home court atmosphere was in our favor. The fans… were so great.” One of the team’s many stars, freshman Brielle Renwick, put up 14 points and initiated the chant of “She’s a freshman!” by all the students. She was a new student this year, and her skill as a center this season has made the team stronger. We are excited to witness her basketball future here at St. Luke’s. Alongside Brielle, Summer, and Caroline, Janelle Johnson ‘20 scored ten points and contributed on offense and defense with tons of great passes and rebounds.

The team was able to win due to their closeness on and off the court. All of the girls on the team are like sisters. Aidan Panian ‘23 said the reason they won was “because [they] played together as a team and a family.” This idea of family was shown greatly at the end of the fourth quarter when Alanna Watson, a sixth-grader, went in and scored her first shot of the game, magnifying the crowd’s enthusiasm. The entire bench was jumping up and down in support of Alanna. Her sister Lexi Watson ‘20, a starter, was also very proud of her younger sister.

This is the second FAA league win for St. Luke’s this week, and next week begins the NEPSAC tournament for both boys and girls.