As the season comes to a bittersweet end for Central’s girls’ basketball team, the Lady Pounders have made it their goal to communicate and coordinate their plays well as a team in order to play more effectively in each game.

The Pounders’ overall record for the season comes to 7-13; however, they show great promise, as they are a relatively young team.

The Division I, Class AA team went against Red Bank High School, at Red Bank, on Tuesday, February 4. Representing District 6, the pressure was on for the team to excel and overpower their opponents.

Although the girls worked hard to maintain the upper hand throughout the entirety of the match, they fell short in the district match, losing 28-48.

“The strategy in the game versus Red Bank was to slow the game down a bit, but it didn’t work out that way,” revealed Girls Basketball Coach Rick May. “[We] struggled with defensive pressure on us and putting pressure on them [the opponents]. We had too many turnovers.”

The loss brought their district record to 6 wins and 8 losses. While the start of their district tournament got off to a rough start, the girls refused to let the game loom over their heads or cause discouragement.

On February 14, the girls traveled to an away game at the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS). During a previous game against CSAS, the Lady Pounders remained in the lead during the first half of their Senior Night match, but they were unable to recover from their opponents’ advances, causing them to lose by a small margin, 43-47.

Their former intense, head-to-head, match against CSAS combined with the Lady Pounders’ drive to win throughout the rest of their district tournament helped get the girls in the right mindset. Newly energized, the girls fought hard, standing their ground, and powered through their second match up against CSAS

“During the last few minutes [of the game], when [CSAS] was making a run at us, [I wondered] how were we going to handle the intensity,” stated Coach May. “We made several free throws at the end of the game, which put them away.”

The girls came out of the game victorious, with a final score of 48-43.

On Tuesday, February 18, the Lady Pounders competed against East Ridge in a post-season home game. This match was a continuation of their tournament play, which brought in increased stakes.

In this match, the girls significantly cut their turnovers, and they made most of their free-throws.

The team showed plenty of growth as the season went on, but there were a few aspects that the girls needed to perfect for next season.

“We’ve struggled with free throws and turnovers, but [we] have improved towards the end of the season,” said Coach May.

Excessive turnovers significantly impacted the girls in their tournament game against Hixson, making it harder for them to score points. That match ended in a loss for the Lady Pounders, with a final score of 29-46. The loss meant that the 2020 girls basketball season had come to an end.

Recently, Seniors Ja’Nya West and London Vaulx were recognized as All-District out of District AA for excelling on the court.

“They were instrumental in our season and played well at times,” commented Coach May.

When asked about what advice he would like his senior players to leave the high school court with, May responded, “Always work hard and things will work out for you.”

Readers can view the latest sports updates on the sports center page. This is where schedules, scores, and rosters will be posted.