Girls’ basketball seniors reflect on underwhelming season, leave team in hands of promising underclassmen

Although they did not qualify for CCS, the seniors proudly reminisce on the team’s adjustment to a new coach, new players and overall growth throughout the season.

Senior captain Zineerah Ahmed swiftly dribbled the ball across the basketball court during a game against Milpitas on Feb. 7. The crowd and coach Manny Steffens cheered as she successfully scored a shot. However, the Falcons’ high from this basket did not last; the team ultimately lost 34-22.

The team held a 2-8 record as of Feb. 9, putting them in fifth out of eight teams in the El Camino League. While the team initially had high hopes of qualifying for CCS, they did not secure the six wins needed to do so. For the final few games of the season, the team has been putting more time and effort into their practices, Ahmed said. Their season will end with a home game for senior night against Gunn on Feb. 9 and an away game at Cupertino on Feb. 13.

“We’ve been losing by as little as three points against teams that are around our skill level, so we really need to lock in,” Ahmed said.

Despite the results on the scoreboard, the players say their positive attitude has not faded, which Ahmed attributes to strong team chemistry and compatibility. She noted that last year’s team dynamic was “pretty rough,” but this year she has found the team to be more strongly connected.

As Ahmed and senior center Priyanka Meduri prepare to graduate from the team, the younger players are already focusing on how to improve for next season. According to junior co-captain Urvi Iyer, they hope to achieve a better ranking and record.

“This season was an integration — we had to adjust to coach Steffens and a completely different group of people,” Iyer said. “Next year, we’ll be able to build off of a familiar game plan and get a better head start.”

On Feb. 13, the team will play their final home game against Cupertino, celebrating Ahmed and Meduri during their senior night celebration. Ahmed anticipates it will be a very bittersweet moment for the both of them, as they have both been playing on the team since their sophomore year. They are confident that the underclassmen will be able to hold the team together for future years to come.

“I really care about this team, as they look up to me and Meduri because we are the only seniors,” Ahmed said. “I hope that they can accomplish a lot of great things in the future.”