On Valentine’s Day, the gym was packed full of enthusiastic friends and family, balloons, and energetic players for the girls’ basketball team’s senior night. To top off their last home game, both the JV and Varsity teams came up victorious.

The Junior Varsity team started off the game with a three point lead, ending the first quarter with a score of 10-7. The game was well matched in the beginning, with Kennedy constantly close to being level with Irvington. The game started off with a several fouls due to Kennedy players getting accidentally knocked over, but the game slowed down later in the quarter.

During the second quarter, things heated up quickly, with Irvington gaining seven points in a short amount of time. Both teams were more energetic, escalating the score to 26-16. The Vikings steadily racked up points and maintained a 10 point lead.

After the halftime break, the JV Vikings replenished their energy and played a much more intense game. This resulted in a number of fouls on the Vikings. Due to a strong and energetic offense by Irvington and a weak defense by Kennedy, the gap between the teams increased to 22. The energy and enthusiasm of the players was evident in this quarter, as you could see players falling, skidding, and rolling across the floor.

The fourth quarter was much slower for Irvington. Kennedy fought back, as they tried to gain the lead, but fell short 50-26.

After the JV victory over Kennedy, there was a short break where seniors Ashley Del Rio, Quincie Ndiaye, and Jessika Davis were recognized for senior night to the sounds of cheering and applause.

Before the game started, students, family, and friends filed in, eventually filling the bleachers with a loud, enthusiastic audience. The gym was decorated with balloons and posters held by the audience, who were cheering on the players.

The enthusiasm of the crowd was rubbing off on the players as the first quarter was very intense. The audience watched intently as the teams racked up points, ending 17-10 in favor of Irvington.

During the second quarter, the Vikings executed good team play that allowed them to maintain a nine point lead. However, the Vikings had a weaker offense in the second quarter, as they kept missing shots.

Kennedy came back with more energy in the third quarter, constantly coming up strong and scoring points. Their defense, however, was less tight than before, as the players crowded around the person holding the ball rather than spreading out. Several minutes into the quarter, the Vikings went on the offensive, scoring seven consecutive shots. The quarter ended 39-27 favoring the Vikings.

The fourth quarter was slow for the Vikings as they didn’t score as much as they had in previous quarters. It was evident that the players’ energy was dwindling. However, they still managed to keep a lead of at least nine points. Kennedy, on the other hand, had more energy, managing to rack up 11 points by the end of the quarter. In the end, the Vikings won 47-38.

“I think our weakness is moving on offense. I think the team could be more offensively aggressive, but our strength is our energy,” said junior Hannah Lee, captain of the girls’ Varsity basketball team.