Martlets Defeat Frederick Gunn

The Westminster girls came out victorious over the Highlanders for their first game back after the long weekend break. The Martlets came out to a hot start going on a 6-0 run. Quick baskets from Bella Lilien ‘27, Janet Kiburi ‘26, and Adam Dembele ‘25 gave the Martlets a comfortable lead going into the second quarter. In the first quarter the defensive energy was high, great communication was coming from all five girls on the floor. Going into the second quarter the offense for the Martlets stalled and the Highlanders were able to cut the lead to a one score game. The defensive energy, which was so prominent in the first quarter, had lapsed in the second quarter. This led the Highlanders to come back and tie the game going into the second half. At halftime the Martlets took a second to reset their goals and focus and went back out to finish the game with a new sense of urgency and determination. The minute the third quarter began it was clear that the energy shift was just what the Martlets needed. It all started on the defensive end with great lockdown defense by Emma Isakoff ‘25. Adam Dembele ‘25 and Ainselee Deptula ‘28. This led to steals and quick transition baskets, which helped the Martlets gain a quick lead. Suri Dong ‘28 contributed her usual three and Audrey Tan ‘27 swished one in as well. Arielle Anderson ‘28 and Caitlyn Eaton ‘28 provided great minutes for their teammates, contributing to the great shift in defensive energy that led to the Martlets victory. Finally, Janet Kiburi ‘26 who had been out sick before this game, came back and played with grit and grace when Arielle went down with an ankle injury. Not only did Janet score for our team, she played locked-down defense and rebounded against some equally talented post players. It was a great team win for the Martlets. The girls hope to keep the victories rolling on Saturday against Mrs. Porters.