Women’s basketball falls to Cosumnes Oaks 68-57 on Senior Night
Seniors Maria Sabu, Lauren Roskelley and Dominique Bustamante pose with their families and gifts during the ceremony before the game. Photo by Rylea Gillis.
The women’s varsity basketball team fell to Cosumnes Oaks 68-57 in the last home game of three players’ high school careers.
Dominique Bustamante, Lauren Roskelley and Maria Sabu took the court Friday for the final time in their four years of playing in the Wildcat gymnasium.
The Cats kept the score close in the first half of the game. Bustamante and Kymaya Wallace’s three-pointers as well as Jada Lewis’ free throws resulted in 20 first quarter points to the Wolfpack’s 24. Whitney struck offensively in the second quarter, completing a high percentage of their shots to go up 38-36 at the half.
At the start of the second half, the Wildcats showed the same promise they had in the previous quarter by taking an early five-point lead. Cosumnes Oaks followed by raking up several steals and turning them into points, pulling away 57-48 by the end of the third. Whitney fought back in the final quarter but the Wolfpack maintained a steady lead throughout the game’s remaining eight minutes.
The loss dropped the team to 8-17 on the season and 3-10 in league. Although they put together a losing season, the girls came out of it with a positive mindset.
“Even though we didn’t win a lot of games, this season was a good learning experience for everyone. It was extremely hard to think that it would be the last time I would step on that court with my jersey on,” Roskelley said.
Being that the majority of the current players are underclassmen, Coach Sydney Gatson will look to Tomlinn Cox and Sam Van Dyke, the team’s next two oldest players, to serve leadership roles next season.
“We’ve had solid leadership from our senior captains this year, but I have no doubt our juniors will be able to step up and do the same next season,” Gatson said.
Cox feels prepared to fill the seniors’ shoes.
“The seniors were all such great role models for us, especially being such a young team. Next year, I will do everything I can to be that same figure for the team as they were,” Cox said.
As for this year, the team is not done just yet. Not in the playoff hunt, the Cats will officially end the season Feb. 16 at Antelope.
by RYLEA GILLIS
