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Contact: Jenni Brockman Phone: 804-443-3357 Fax: 804-443-6781 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tappahannock (December 15, 2003) - St. Margaret’s basketball teams faced tough competition in their first two weeks of the season with games against Richmond Christian, Trinity and Steward. 
Photo left:
Scotties drive down the court en route to a December 4 SMS victory over Richmond Christian.
Varsity Basketball: St. Margaret’s varsity basketball team won its season opener at home against Richmond Christian Academy on Thursday, December 4. The Warriors challenged the Scotties, keeping the game close from start to finish. Team captain Becky Clark, a junior from Lively, carried the team by scoring 15 points. The final tally: SMS 27, RCA 26. On December 9, SMS traveled to Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond for its second game of the season. Despite the Scotties’ aggressive play, the Trinity team proved to be a strong opponent. With two all-star players and a well-known coach, the Titans defeated St. Margaret’s 63-19. Coach Sue Saunders remained positive about the team, noting that in the future they will “try some new plays and learn to be more physical.” Certainly the Scotties showed great improvement the next day, when they faced the Steward School at home. Taylor Miller, a new ninth grader and recent addition to the team, posted 8 points as the high scorer for St. Margaret’s. Unfortunately, the Scotties did not overtake Steward and lost the game 39-22. Saunders thought the team “stepped up” to the challenge of playing well on the heels of a bitter defeat, adding that these games against Trinity and Steward will not count against the Scotties’ record in the League of Independent Schools. Indeed, Saunders has not yet found her starting five and looks forward to the future match ups against Trinity and Steward, once the team has had a chance to “gel.” The varsity basketball team will play St. Catherine’s and Christchurch at home on December 16 and 17, respectively. JV Basketball: The junior varsity basketball team showed promise in its December 9 season opener against Trinity, despite a disappointing final score of 43-23. This young team “handled the first game of the season with a lot of character,” remarked head coach David Cook. In his fourth year as the team’s coach, Cook felt positive about the Scotties’ performance, noting that the girls managed to stay calm and play together against a better-skilled opponent. Despite such a difficult loss, the team rallied when it faced Steward the next day. Though the game again ended with a St. Margaret’s defeat, Cook applauded his team and highlighted girls’ improvements in passing, reading the defense, decreasing turnovers, and making plays. “Give us a month,” he said, “and we’re going to be contenders.” Cook emphasized teamwork, a philosophy that will likely pay off for these dedicated players. In the end, he stressed that “who we are is more important than whether or not we win.” JV basketball plays St. Catherine’s at home on Tuesday, December 16, and hosts Christchurch on Wednesday. |
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