On Tuesday, the varsity girls basketball team opened its home season and began league play with an impressive 81–47 win over the Quincy Orioles. The victory also marked Coach Thorrez’s first win as a varsity head coach.
The first half was tightly contested, with the score staying close between the Yellowjackets and the Orioles. Concord headed into halftime with a narrow 34–26 lead. Reflecting on the first half, Coach Thorrez said, “We had eight days off since our last game, and I thought we came out a step slow, so I need to do a better job of getting us prepared before the game. We gave up too many open shots in the first half because we weren’t communicating on defense.”
The second half told a different story. The Yellowjackets came out with renewed energy, executing their game plan and turning up the intensity on defense. “I thought we came out in the second half and communicated well on defense and executed our game plan to get out in transition,” Thorrez said. “I could not be prouder of the way they responded in the second half. I had a lot of nerves coming into this new position, and to be able to get my first win while being able to coach my daughter is a pretty hard feeling to describe. It’s special. We have an amazing group of girls, and I’m excited to see where this season takes us.”
Concord dominated the third quarter, scoring 31 of its 47 second-half points in the period. A major contributor to the scoring surge was CeCe Barrett, who finished the night with 31 points. When asked about her performance , Barrett said, “Scoring 31 points felt great, but it really came from how well we played together as a team. Everyone was moving the ball and trusting each other, which made the game flow. We still need to work a little more on our communication, but overall it was a great team win.”
Overall, the win showed what this team is capable of when everyone plays together. With strong effort, basketball intelligence, and teamwork, the Lady Jackets appear to be preparing for a deep run this season. The Yellowjackets now sit at 1–1 on the year and will be back in action tomorrow, Friday, December 19, at Bronson, with JV tipping off at 5:30 p.m. and varsity following at 7:00 p.m. Please continue supporting this talented group of girls throughout the season.
