North’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team Faces Off Against Pattonville

After a long season of battle and rivalry, the varsity girls’ basketball team will face off against Pattonville one last time tonight at 7 p.m. at Parkway Central, with the winner of game advancing to Districts.

Play-offs started Monday when North defeated Ritenour High School, advancing them to semi-finals, where they will play against Pattonville, who they have played twice before this season.  North was victorious on Jan. 17, with 50-38; but lost on Dec. 16, with 55-60.

“We’re all very excited,” said senior Maggie Brandon, “As a team we’re pumped, but we’re also a little nervous because [Pattonville] is a really good team. So far, we lost one game [against them], but won the other.”

The team has spent the entirety of the season focusing on their skills as well as using new plays to build the defensive against

“We work on fundamentals throughout the year,” head coach Will Young said, “At this point in the season, though, there is a little more focus on what each team does offensively and we scout them out and talk to the girls about what we will do to stop their offense.”

The team has had to focus on Pattonville in particular because they are such a strong team, having strong players and holding a near-perfect record all season.

“[Pattonville] is a team that we are pretty well-matched with. They have only lost three games so far and they have a few members who have played varsity for four years now,” Young said.

Pattonville and North have been rivals for a long time, and with high stakes on the game, both teams are itching to win, tonight is expected to be nothing short of intense.

“[The game] is going to be extremely close,” Brandon said, “It will also be very physical because both teams are very good. Both really want [to win this game], and because we are rivals I think it will be very emotional as well.”

Despite their rivalry, the team also feels that they are more prepared for this game than others.

“I think we’re more mentally prepared for this game than others. We’ve spent more time looking at [Pattonville’s] players as players,” Brandon said.

“I think tonight will be a fairly low-scoring game,” Young said, “Both teams are good defensively and they both have a good idea as to what the other tries to do offensively. It will come down to who has the stronger defense.”

Both teams expect to play their best tonight, and the winner will advance to District Finals next week. 

Written by Jo Treadway