It is no secret that some Bellarmine sports are placed on higher pedestal than others. Perhaps the least recognized sport by the students is our Girls Basketball team. The girls play twice every week and at each game there are some adults and only a handful of students, usually no more than 30 fans a game.

Bellarmine is a school where everyone takes pride in our athletics,  and students especially should show it. The cheering section, the Jungle, is not exclusive to Boys Basketball and football games. The Jungle should be present at all of our sporting events.

Player Sydney Swofford said, “It’s never too late to start; there is no better time than the present and the present is on the way to a state championship.”

Seniors Swofford and Ionna Price have led our Girls basketball team to an undefeated record at home, despite the extreme lack of fan support.

Our Lady Lions have gone up against the best in state and have given them tough close games. (The girls have twice played Gonzaga Prep who ranked 2nd in state.) Both times they have fallen just short. The Dec. 28 game was one of the best games they have played all season when they lost to Gonzaga Prep with a score of 54-53. Swofford and Price both scored a combined 35 points in the game.

“That was by far the best and most fun game we have played all year. We played hard throughout the whole game and it really came down to the wire. Even though we lost, I think we really grew as a team that day and made great stride in the right direction,” said Swofford.

The Lady Lions now prepares to make a run at the state championship but it is going to be a long and trying journey. Sophomore Claire Martin said, “I think there is good chance we can go all the way. We really play as a team.”

Sydney Swofford said, “I have no doubt we will make it to the state championship, and we are going to win it. There is no one player on the team that stands out amongst the rest; we all are extremely talented. Coach Meines has taught us a lot about what it takes to win and the passion that we must have every practice and every game. Hopefully we will be able to play Gonzaga Prep again in the state tournament and show them how much we’ve grown since December. We need all the fans we can get, which means more than the ten we usually have.”