As they finish the regular season and head into the playoffs, the girls basketball team is pushing on in pursuit of a state championship. The Lady Bulldogs have been performing well all season, with an overall record of 16-6 and a conference record of 5-5. After a few tough loses to rivals Whitman and Walter Johnson in early January, the team is working on stepping up its defense and utilizing its diverse set of players.

In their final regular game of the season, the Lady Bulldogs beat Magruder 48-33. Sophomore Japria Karim-Duvall had 12 points during the Feb. 19 win.

The team dominated Northwood, 74-7, Feb 12. The Lady Bulldogs scored 40 points in the second quarter alone, and almost every player on the roster scored at least one point.

“We have a very skilled team this season,” senior captain Alaine Thronson said. “All the girls on the team can play and standout in any given game.”

Karim-Duvall led the team with 13 points in its victory over Watkins Mill Feb. 15. Senior captain Shira Racoosin and Thronson also assisted in the 72-13 win with 12 points each.

After Wootton pulled ahead early in the Feb 6. game, the team came back strong in the second half to cut down, but ultimately lost by two.

“I think we definitely need to work on coming in strong earlier in the games,” Racoosin said. “We will only learn from this loss and fight back harder in our next games and through playoffs.”

Racoosin and senior captain Katie Jenkins led the team in its victory against Quince Orchard Feb. 5, scoring almost half of the team’s 51 points. Senior captain Erica Lindsay assisted in the win with an additional eight points.

“Against QO, we were faced with a challenge since Alaine was ill,” coach Katelyn McMahon said. “The team responded.”

The team pulled ahead of Clarksburg early Feb. 1, leading 21-6 after the first quarter. The Lady Bulldogs moved the ball well on offense, showing off the team’s chemistry.

“It was the team defense that stopped Clarksburg and enabled us to win 66-41,” McMahon said.

In one of the toughest losses of the season, the team fell to Walter Johnson 49-46 Jan. 30. The Wildcats pulled away early in the game, and with their home court advantage and fierce momentum, they held on against the Lady Bulldogs down the stretch in the division rivalry game.

“I think we only learned from that experience, and came back really strong against Clarksburg and QO in response to the loss,” Racoosin said.

The Lady Bulldogs faced Northwest in their first playoff game Feb. 22.

“Our goal is to win states, and hopefully we can achieve it with some hard work,” Jenkins said.