After a hot start (and 10 straight wins) for the Menlo varsity girls basketball team to open their season, tougher league competition has cooled the Knights off. The team currently sits at a 14-7 record.
Head coach Ryan Cooper believes that while their pre-season opponents were weaker, the games helped build younger players’ confidence and allowed the whole team to get in the game. “The way we tried to approach the non-league schedule was to gain as much experience as we could because we are really young,” Cooper said.
While the team is underclassmen-heavy, the senior duo of Ruiqi Liu and Karen Xin lead the team in points per game at 17 each, while Liu also chips in an average of eight rebounds per game. Junior Sophie Housser believes that after both Liu and Xin committed to the University of Chicago, their playing style improved significantly. “They have a lot of confidence now, and also they’re playing for fun now,” Housser said. “It has shown a lot in their ability to be more unselfish and just more relaxed.”
However, like all the Menlo winter sports teams, illness has hit the roster hard. Liu was sick for several of the team’s games, including both against Notre Dame Belmont. The team lost 52-42 in the first game but won 45-33 in the second. “For us to get a very convincing win on the road without her is just a testament to how hard the whole team not only has been working but how well they’re playing,” Cooper said.
One difference in playing style that Housser notes has helped the team is getting rid of set play. Last year, Cooper would call plays for the team to run them, but this year, the players are encouraged to play more freely. “I think it’s really good for us,” Housser said. “It makes everyone a much better basketball player because they have more confidence in their abilities since there’s not someone just sitting in the corner the whole time.”
Both Housser and Cooper are excited to compete in the Central Coast Section playoffs, especially for the possibility for the team to win their fourth CCS championship in a row. “The goal is to be champions on March 1,” Cooper said.
