After the cancellation of their first two rounds of CPS playoffs, the Varsity Girls Basketball advanced to the quarterfinals where they were defeated Feb. 5 by Kenwood, 79-50.

Before facing Kenwood in the quarterfinals, guard Niki Camacho, Div. 076, and teammate Shannon Bailey, Div. 054, said that they were a potential threat to their future in the playoffs. 

Kenwood holds a tough reputation due to their basketball fundamentals and quality athleticism according to Camacho. Bailey added that the anticipation of the game was especially personal for her because her father was ejected from last year’s game as a result of how intense the game atmosphere became. 

“They were quick, fast, big, like what every good basketball player is. No weakling, everyone was good,” Camacho said.

Lane was scheduled to play Crane Medical in the first round of playoffs on Jan. 28, but due to the game being canceled, the Indians gained the win and proceeded to the second round to face Brooks, who had defeated Lane last season.

Due to miscommunication between Lane and Brooks, no game was held on Jan. 31 and rescheduling wasn’t possible, so Lane continued their advancement in the playoffs, securing the win by forfeit according to Bailey.

Senior Camacho said there was much anticipation to see a competitor like Brooks again in the city playoffs but after discovering they would not play on Jan. 31, there would be no more anticipation.

“We were going to play Brooks tonight and that was definitely going to be a good, competitive game between us because they did beat us last year, but we’ve improved so much this year that even losing last year wouldn’t even be a factor,” Camacho said.

Shortly after Brooks’ forfeit, Lane was scheduled to face Kenwood in an away playoff match for the second consecutive year on Feb. 5.

The first quarter consisted of strong offensive presence on both ends of the court, with Lane going on a 7-0 run and Kenwood coming back to make it a one-point game, 7-6. The Broncos gained the lead at the end of the first quarter making the score 20-14. 

At the start of the second half, Lane went on a 3-0 run, tying the game 20-20, but Kenwood regained its offensive power, dominating just before halftime to build a 12-point lead.

Lane team manager Lauren Gallagher, Div. 055, said that the halftime score seemed to establish the rest of the game.

“The third quarter was when it kind of pulled away, we kind of lost it,” Gallagher said. “We kind of dug ourselves a hole at the end of the half.”

Guard Karli Spaid, Div. 081, said that they weren’t lacking team effort, but efficiency and accuracy due to their lack of shots made and Kenwood’s ability to score off their misses with rebounds and drives.

“Offensively I’d say that was probably one of our best games,” Spaid said. “We got shots off, a lot of shots off — they were really good looks, but they just weren’t really falling. We were also pushing the ball up and we had a decent amount of fast breaks and stuff, but they just didn’t miss it.”

Prior to entering the CPS playoffs, Lane defeated rival Jones 57-54 on Jan. 21 in their last conference match, determining their seed and first competitor of the postseason. The Jones game was  an intensely physical game due to their offensive power, according to guard Kendra Desimeon, Div. 075.

Their triumph earned Lane another conference win, improving their record to 5-4, beating a three-way tie between Westinghouse and Payton to be third seed.

Kenwood’s offensive power ultimately dominated Lane’s effort in the CPS playoffs, resulting in a final score of 79-50.

Despite the Indians’ loss in the quarterfinals, the team made significant improvement in conference record this year, 5-4, compared to last year, 3-6. Spaid recognized the team’s change in work ethic and communication.

“It’s a huge step up from last year,” Spaid said. “I think this team was a lot more hardworking and it shows with where we were seeded, our end record and then how hard we fought every game — even the ones that we lost, we could have won.”

The team lost against Resurrection in a non-conference match on Feb. 6, 64-39. The Indians also played a home non-conference game against Trinity Feb. 8 where they celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day, but fell short of victory in a 50-44 loss. 

The Girls Basketball team will make their first appearance in the 2020 state tournament on Feb. 18 at New Trier at 7:30 p.m.