The Lady Rams Take Down the Titans

It wasn’t easy, but the Lady Rams pulled through tonight for a huge 57-41 win against one of Highland’s biggest rivals, Olympus.

The majority of the first half was back and forth with strong defense from both teams, but a lot of missed lay-ups and turnovers. Then, 2 minutes before halftime, the Lady Rams started to pull away from an 18-18 tie by slowing the ball down and using their height to their advantage. Instead of driving the ball straight to the basket every time, the girls focused on smart passes and communicated well with each other.

“We adjusted to what Olympus threw at us and played our hearts out,” Junior Macy Wilson said. “Some things didn’t go our way, but we didn’t let that hold us back. We came together as a team and pushed each other and got the win!”

The Lady Ram’s were led by seniors Marlee Machon and Nani Tonga who explosively commanded the court and highlighted one another’s strengths throughout the second half. Machon controlled the ball nearly impeccably, and countless times, she was able to get it to Tonga for a lay-up. Tonga dominated the basket, scoring the majority of Highland’s points. Freshman Finau Tonga also put on an impressive performance by catching nearly every rebound and consistently finding a way to get open for a pass.

The strength and power of Highland’s posts, and the versatility and talent of each of the varsity girls is what ultimately set them apart from the Titans for the win. Additionally, the Lady Ram’s strong team ethic was evident in the way that the girls played with and supported one another and played an important role in their victory.
Looking forward, the Lady Rams hope to improve upon outside shots and free throws and still need time to completely adjust to their new coaching staff as well as the different expectations and strategies that come with the coaches. This will likely be the best year that the Lady Rams have ever had, and they will certainly be contenders for the state title.