As friends and family waited patiently in the stands, the varsity Huntley girls basketball team prepared for their game, against Crystal Lake South in the locker room. Filled with excitement and eagerness to get onto the court, the girls felt ready to compete.

The game started with players Raquel Radermacher, Sydney Novak, Anna Seng, Kamsi Nwogu, and Ashley Guazzo. The first to score was Huntley, Radermacher with a 3-pointer.

Much aggression was shown from both teams as there were frequent slips and bumps, but Huntley’s girls stayed strong throughout the game and played hard the entire time.

“There were little bumps in the road, but everyone was always there to back each other up, and we just had each other’s back the entire time,” freshman Jessie Ozzauto said.

The team scored three 3-pointers, one by junior Ashley Guazzo and two by junior Raquel Radermacher. Junior Kamsi Nwogu was the highest scorer of the game, helping the team to their win.

“I thought we played really hard, I’m really proud of our girls’ effort, they competed for the whole game, the 32 minutes,” assistant varsity coach Henricksen said.

At the half, the team was winning 14-12 and it got really close as both teams showed great talent and strength in the second half.

“It got a little tight so I’m really proud that they were able to pull it out and get the win,” Henricksen said.

The game ended with Huntley as the champion, 41-37. The girls still have lots of work and training to do, but it was great to get this win under their belt.

“We’ve faced some tough games recently where some similar situations keep happening, so I’m hoping they can build some confidence from getting the win down the stretch,” Henricksen said.

The girls play again Monday, Dec. 15, at Jacobs High School.