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Paul VI girls’ basketball continues to build its dynasty in Fairfax Paul VI girls’ basketball continues to build its dynasty in Fairfax
(1 day later)
It’s not often a loss defines a championship season, but it’s just as rare for a girls’ basketball team to go 39 games without one playing in the uber-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. That, though, is exactly the predicament Paul VI found itself in back in January, when Good Counsel ended the Panthers’ impressive win streak against league opponents.It’s not often a loss defines a championship season, but it’s just as rare for a girls’ basketball team to go 39 games without one playing in the uber-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. That, though, is exactly the predicament Paul VI found itself in back in January, when Good Counsel ended the Panthers’ impressive win streak against league opponents.
But the way Paul VI (33-1) responded to that setback is why it will finish atop The Washington Post’s girls’ basketball rankings for the second year in a row. The Panthers did not drop another game after that point, capturing their third straight WCAC title and 10th Virginia Independent State Athletic Association Division I championship in a row en route to setting a new school record for wins.But the way Paul VI (33-1) responded to that setback is why it will finish atop The Washington Post’s girls’ basketball rankings for the second year in a row. The Panthers did not drop another game after that point, capturing their third straight WCAC title and 10th Virginia Independent State Athletic Association Division I championship in a row en route to setting a new school record for wins.
“It was a devastating loss, but I think it was something that we needed,” senior Raven James said. “It was just an eye opener and any time we felt tired, we always thought of that loss and kept pushing on and getting better. We never took any team for granted.”“It was a devastating loss, but I think it was something that we needed,” senior Raven James said. “It was just an eye opener and any time we felt tired, we always thought of that loss and kept pushing on and getting better. We never took any team for granted.”
Paul VI is in the midst of an unprecedented run of success, and the 123-12 career record that four-year varsity player Jasmine Whitney will leave behind is all the proof needed that there is a burgeoning dynasty in Fairfax right now.Paul VI is in the midst of an unprecedented run of success, and the 123-12 career record that four-year varsity player Jasmine Whitney will leave behind is all the proof needed that there is a burgeoning dynasty in Fairfax right now.
But James and Whitney were the only senior starters on this year’s team, which needed role players to take on more minutes and featured a couple new faces. And yet, the roster had an innate chemistry, partly because many played AAU basketball together with Team Takeover. A new weapon seemed to emerge every game.But James and Whitney were the only senior starters on this year’s team, which needed role players to take on more minutes and featured a couple new faces. And yet, the roster had an innate chemistry, partly because many played AAU basketball together with Team Takeover. A new weapon seemed to emerge every game.
“We all play to our strengths and that happens to work well with each other,” James said. “None of us are selfish. We don’t care who gets the credit as long as the job is getting done.”“We all play to our strengths and that happens to work well with each other,” James said. “None of us are selfish. We don’t care who gets the credit as long as the job is getting done.”
James was the pass-first point guard who sacrificed her statistics to set up talented teammates. Whitney, the co-WCAC player of the year, was the Panthers’ go-to player in crunch time and a tremendous asset on defense. Freshman Ashley Owusu, one of the top prospects in the country for her class, had an instant impact and earned first-team all-WCAC honors. Sophomore Amira Collins, a transfer from St. John’s, led the team in scoring and provided muscle inside, while sophomore Kate Klimkiewicz averaged double figures in scoring despite coming off the bench most of the season.James was the pass-first point guard who sacrificed her statistics to set up talented teammates. Whitney, the co-WCAC player of the year, was the Panthers’ go-to player in crunch time and a tremendous asset on defense. Freshman Ashley Owusu, one of the top prospects in the country for her class, had an instant impact and earned first-team all-WCAC honors. Sophomore Amira Collins, a transfer from St. John’s, led the team in scoring and provided muscle inside, while sophomore Kate Klimkiewicz averaged double figures in scoring despite coming off the bench most of the season.
Together, they formed a nucleus that will finish the season ranked among the top five teams in the country by both USA Today and MaxPreps. And that lone loss became an invaluable resource for Paul VI during another banner year .Together, they formed a nucleus that will finish the season ranked among the top five teams in the country by both USA Today and MaxPreps. And that lone loss became an invaluable resource for Paul VI during another banner year .
“It was a big wake up call as far as ‘Hey, we can’t just pick and choose when we’re ready to play,’ and I think it was a great lesson in focus,” Coach Scott Allen said. “We needed to have some sort of adversity that made us focus a little bit more.”“It was a big wake up call as far as ‘Hey, we can’t just pick and choose when we’re ready to play,’ and I think it was a great lesson in focus,” Coach Scott Allen said. “We needed to have some sort of adversity that made us focus a little bit more.”
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