The girls basketball season came to an end on Thursday night in the District Championship after a 54-46 loss to Rockwood Summit. 

The game was a fight from the start. The entire first half was back and forth as the two teams traded baskets. Specifically, for Rockwood Summit, it was 6’3” center Jasmine Manuel doing the scoring.

Westminster knew that this girl was going to be tough to contain. Not only did she have immense size, she was capable of shooting, too. She shoots 85 percent from the free throw line, too, so there would be no point in just trying to send her to the line. 

However, no team could be prepared for what this girl would do on Thursday night. She could not miss, and when she did, she found her way to the free throw and knocked down those shots. She would finish the game with 28 points.

In the second quarter, Westminster stretched out their lead to five, the largest it would be. Rockwood Summit scored twice in the final minute and the lead dwindled to one. It was 28-27 at the half. 

By then, Carlie Vick had hit three three pointers. She doesn’t often come alive from range, but when she does, she can be unstoppable. Julia Coleman had also picked up three fouls in the first half, something she’d hoped to avoid after fouling out early in the fourth quarter on Tuesday. 

The second half was more of the same. This game was a battle to the highest degree. Rockwood Summit started to pull away, but another Carlie Vick three as time expired in the third cut the lead to just five at 41-36 with eight minutes to play.

Westminster cut the lead to three points, but could never close the gap. With around two minutes to play, the Rockwood Summit point guard drove into the lane and the referees missed an easy travel call. She laid the ball in for two, and chaos and confusion resulted on the floor. The Wildcats turned the ball over trying to break the press and suddenly the Wildcats were down seven without the ball and fewer than two minutes to play.

There was not a lot they could do at this point. Time ran down and the Wildcats lost by eight, bringing their season to a disappointing early end. 

Carsyn Beachy and Macey Lottmann will not play again for Westminster. Their careers are over. They saw the highs and the lows; they went from a terrible team to a strong team in their four years in the program.

For the rest, the future is only brighter. Marty Briner will be the lone senior next year. The junior trio of Brooke Highmark, Reilly Brophy, and Carlie Vick will only get better. As juniors and seniors, their potential is scary. With time, Julia Coleman will become a beast. Sydney Bradley showed flashes of potential on Thursday night. There are eighth graders coming up next year. This team will be dominant in due time. 

It’s been a fun two years of basketball. This group of girls put Westminster basketball on the map for real, both within the school and in the basketball community. I enjoyed all the days of practice squad. 800 Sporting is glad to have been around to witness the return of girls basketball at our school the last two years.