Surviving December: Tested Before League Play

Everyone goes into the season optimistic on how their seasons will go. Most teams are eyeing championships before they play their first scrimmage. Some of the heavy hitters are thinking about going undefeated and have a few key games circled on their calendars. The DMV had a whirlwind shoot through in December and many of our teams were tested and took their first loss of the season. If they used the game to get better it is still a win at the end of the day. If nothing else we know that the DMV (in the words of Coach Mack "Ain't Ducking the Bump".   Bishop McNamara Played IMG early at the SGGC which was a game with a backstory. Ron James against Frank Oliver was worth the price of admission. [player_tooltip player_id='239453' first='Zhen' last='Craft'] and LaNae' Corbett showed that they can control the paint but the needed another spark with Maddie McDaniel given it her all. The Mustangs will go into the new year with a couple of losses and a new focus. Questions remain on who are the second and third scoring options.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/5I5A6192-crop-3105x2039-1701301774.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-814592" /></figure>   St. John's College The Cadets lost to Long Island Lutheran by 13. That's nothing that they should hold their head down about since it seems that everyone has been losing to Long Island Lutheran by double digits. The 13 point loss is the closest that any team has came to the Crusaders and one thing is for they will remember the name [player_tooltip player_id='238690' first='Kyndal' last='Walker'] who tourched them for 25 of her teams 55 points despite facing double teams. 2024 should be a good year for Walker.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/5I5A4751-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-559147" /></figure>   Bullis Bullis got a life lesson when facing St. John's College and will see IMG before the year is out. First things first is to get out of Arizona healthy. With [player_tooltip player_id='785451' first='Ivanna' last='Wilson-Manyacka'] and [player_tooltip player_id='303119' first='Meghan' last='Yarnevich'] they have the power to match anyone in the country. Their toughest tests however will be the locals that they will have to face.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/5I5A6067-crop-5032x3304-1701304990.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-814644" /></figure>   McDonogh The Eagles have dropped two games already but no need to panic about that. The close game against St. Frances concerns me more than the losses. They will have to face the Panthers again and Pallotti has already given Pallotti a double digit loss. Ari Benjamin, [player_tooltip player_id='238813' first='Kennedy' last='Umeh'] and [player_tooltip player_id='304355' first='Ava' last='McKennie'] can contribute with any team on any level, so the expectation for them to run the table in Baltimore is not far fetched. We will see how much they have learned in mid January against Westtown.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/5I5A5256-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-559366" /></figure>   Elizabeth Seton The Roadrunners have the most complete team in the area, but even they suffered the December curse against Grace Christian (NC). They have another tournament after Christmas but 2024 will mainly be their WCAC foes for the remainder of the year. As far as height the conference is pretty balanced, the title will ultimately come down to guard play. [player_tooltip player_id='396234' first='Nadeya' last='Regala'] and [player_tooltip player_id='239389' first='Emma' last='NuQuay'] are two of the best shooters in the country, will that make a difference in the close games?   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/5I5A1454-crop-2702x1774-1687214123.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-675147" /></figure>   Sidwell Friends [player_tooltip player_id='238687' first='Kendall' last='Dudley'] has led the charge for Sidwell but still the fell victim in December to Westtown. They should cruise through 2024 as they haven't schedule any WCAC opponents this season. Some in conference independents like Bullis and Maret may put up a fight, but nothing major until the end of the season. In their final scheduled game they play Long Island Lutheran who have been feasting on DMV teams, at that point it may be to late to even matter. [player_tooltip player_id='475074' first='Ava' last='Yoon'] is the key piece for the Quakers as she is playing with a lot of confidence and has the skill to change a game especially if she is being overlooked.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/5I5A6881-crop-3864x2537-1674227890.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-585931" /></figure>

Everyone goes into the season optimistic on how their seasons will go. Most teams are eyeing championships before they play their first scrimmage. Some of the heavy hitters are thinking about going undefeated and have a few key games circled on their calendars. The DMV had a whirlwind shoot through in December and many of our teams were tested and took their first loss of the season. If they used the game to get better it is still a win at the end of the day. If nothing else we know that the DMV (in the words of Coach Mack "Ain't Ducking the Bump".