Girls Basketball Wins Troy Tournament; Starts Season 3-0
Brooke Highmark puts up a three-pointer in a game against St. Charles High school.
Last week, the girls basketball team battled out three tough victories to win the Troy tournament for the first time since 2014.
The Wildcats knocked off St. Charles in the first round of the tournament by a score of 79-27, giving themselves lots of confidence heading into the second round.
Although the second round wasn’t pretty due to many turnovers and unforced errors, good shooting, especially from Reilly Brophy, led the Wildcats to victory over Fort Zumwalt South by eight points.
In the championship, the Wildcats squared off against the Holt Indians. The Wildcats knew Holt would be a tough matchup, but they knew it was a game they could win.
“We felt good headed into the game. We knew it was going to be a close game and that we had to play well in order to win,” said Brooke Highmark.
After a slow first quarter, the Wildcats exploded in the second quarter, giving themselves a three point lead heading into the break. The message was clear for the team in the locker room: win one half of basketball and leave as champions.
Holt made their runs in the second half, but ultimately the Wildcats were able to get the win with the help of late free throw shooting and stout defense. Westminster won by a score of 48-42, claiming a well earned early-season championship.
Throughout the tournament, the Wildcats were led by the sophomore trio of Brooke Highmark, Reilly Brophy, and Carly Vick. Highmark led the team averaging 17 points a game, followed by sharpshooting Reilly Brophy who averaged 13 points per game. Vick showed great grit throughout the tournament as she played on a hurt ankle that was injured early in the semifinals. The Wildcats also got great contributions from senior Macey Lottman’s leadership and shot-making ability, and freshman Julia Coleman’s athleticism and ability to defend every position.
Coach Kat Martin was very proud of her team and the fierce competitiveness that they showed. “I’m very pleased with the way that we worked together and gave it our best effort. I feel like we are capable of having a very successful season.”
Overall, the cats are satisfied with their performance in the tournament and are hopeful for the future of the program, especially as the underclassmen continue to develop.
The Wildcats are now 3-1 after a loss to Kirkwood on Monday. They now look forward to their upcoming matchup against the Crusaders of Lutheran North Friday at 6 PM at Westminster.
