Randolph Girls Basketball celebrated Fan Appreciation Night with a 49-26 win over Morristown-Beard on Friday, Jan. 13. This took the team’s mid-season record to 6-3.
The game started aggressively, with both teams battling to get an early run. Morristown-Beard started off strong, gaining a 9-7 lead against Randolph by the end of the first quarter.
During the second quarter, however, the Rams found a rhythm both offensively and defensively, outscoring Morristown-Beard by 11, getting efficient defensive plays.
Senior Kayla Pentz had five steals while senior captain Kayla Brand had seven. This took Randolph to a 23-14 lead at the half.
“We all played very well and together, which led us to succeed,” Brand said about the team’s communication during the fierce game.
During the half, the atmosphere of the gym was filled with energy, with the team’s multitude of fans enjoying activities like T-shirt tosses, raffles and Randolph merch giveaways. “Seeing so many faces in the gym makes me feel excited to know I am in a program that has so much love and support within it,” sophomore Kate Thompson said.
Coming into the third quarter, Randolph managed to get Morristown-Beard’s leading scorer into foul trouble, taking her off the court. This gave Randolph an opportunity to keep the lead.
Morristown-Beard tried to fight back but got outscored by eight in the third quarter, which ended in Randolph leading 39-22.
The Rams kept their energy up throughout the fourth and prevented themselves from fouling while Morristown-Beard struggled at that, giving the Rams a total of 21 foul shots. Randolph ended the game strong, winning 49-26.
Brand led the way for Randolph with 22 points and eight rebounds, Pentz was right behind her with 10 points and eight rebounds. Junior Kayla Takacs also made her mark, earning seven points for the Rams and six rebounds.
Following the game, fans lined up to get their Lady Rams poster signed by the players, putting the final touch on a thrilling night.
“It’s so special to see all the little kids look up to such young and talented athletes,” sophomore fan Kate Lyons said.
Editor’s note: Following the Mo-Beard win, the Rams suffered a loss @ Pope John 55-37 on Tuesday, Jan. 14, bringing the season record to 6-4. They play their next game @ Morristown on Thursday, Jan. 16.
