By Sammie Spillman ‘16

The girls’ basketball program at Sherwood has long struggled, enduring many consecutive seasons of losing records. First-year coach Chris Campbell entered this season hoping to change the team’s legacy, and the Warriors already are making the turnaround with a record of 5-7.

The girls started the season losing to Magruder 46-39 but then won three straight, beating Einstein 59-15, B-CC 59-54 and Walter Johnson 61-47. The next blemish on their record was against Paint Branch on December 12, losing 59-36 to one of the strongest teams in the area.

At the Millford Mill Holiday Tournament, the Warriors placed third with a 46-37 victory over Mercy after losing the day before to City College. Junior Nicole Stockinger led the scoring with 15 points, and sophomore Bryse Thornwell added 10. Senior Marybeth Bidwick had a strong rebounding performance, pulling down nine boards.

“So far our season’s going pretty well. I was a little nervous coming to a new school and being on the basketball team, but the team works well together and has been a lot of fun,” said Thornwell. “I think that we’re all looking towards continuing to build the team up and ending with a winning record.”

After the holiday tournament, the Warriors played Kennedy on January 4 and lost 51-30. Stockinger and Bryce both led the team in scoring with 10 points each. Stockinger also led the Warriors in a losing effort against Blake, scoring 11 in the 42-40 loss. The Warriors came back, beating Springbrook 65-32 on January 10 but then lost the game to Richard Montgomery 49-37 on January 17.

“I think we’ve come a long way since last year,” said Bidwick. “We think more positively and have more confidence in ourselves and that makes us a better team.”

Last Friday the Warriors looked for redemption against a Paint Branch team that they lost to by 23 points earlier in the season. The Warriors could not handle the Panthers, losing 75-54 in a lopsided game. The Warriors could not stick with the Panthers’ size in the paint throughout the game.

“The season is going very well. We got a whole new coaching staff so it’s a brand new beginning. The team is very close to one another and we always bring positive energy everyday, whether it’s in practice or a game,” said Stockinger. “When we give it all we got and come out strong, we are always succeeding and we are going to make it difficult for our opponents to beat us.”