The varsity girls had a tactical approach to their first home game. After carefully studying their adversary, the Lady Vikes formulated a strategy to rupture the opposing team’s defensive line. The Vikings’ diligence paid off, and on Saturday Dec. 9, Paly routed long-time nemesis St. Francis, 58-45.

"We watched tapes of St. Francis and noted patterns in their formation," senior co-captain Katie Barich said. "We were well-prepared for what they dished out for us."

The girls entered the game with abounding confidence and enthusiasm, fueled by a 4-game winning streak leading up to that night. The Lady Vikes concentrated on penetrating the Lancers’ defense while maintaining their own aggressive defensive play. Other than a few tense moments at various points in the game, the Vikes overshadowed St. Francis from the start.

The game began optimally for the Lady Vikes, and with sophomore guard/forward Rachel Pecota vying for the jump ball, Paly easily outmaneuvered St. Francis to capture the tip-off. Pecota handed the ball off to sophomore guard Kiley McDermott, who proceeded to zigzag down the court. McDermott’s attempt to score was foiled by a St. Francis foul, giving Paly an opportunity to obtain points right at the outset. In two consecutive free throws, punctuated by a St. Francis foul, Paly accumulated a 2 point margin over the Lady Lancers. The next few minutes of the quarter were marked by an absence of scoring as the Lady Vikes, although retaining an almost-complete control of the ball, seemed unable to breach the Lancers’ defense.

The Vikes regained momentum later when senior guard/forward Barich hit three dramatic 3-pointers, interspersed by intense bouts of ball-wrestling between the teams. The Paly girls further asserted their dominance over St. Francis, bolstered by a half-court driving layup by sophomore guard Olivia Garcia.

Two minutes and a Lancer free throw later, Paly freshman Alex Nguyen scored off of an inbound pass, bringing the score to 12-1. Even after two additional Lancer free throws, the Vikes continued to expand their already substantial lead.

With their impregnable defense, the Lady Vikes held off the Lancers’ for the entire first quarter, finishing off with an ample 20-3 lead. The Lancers milked a mere 3 points, all from free throws.

"St. Francis is one of our main rivals," Barich said. "We played extra hard because we’re super competitive."

The game continued in Paly’s favor, although the girls’ performance noticeably slipped during the second quarter. St. Francis began to challenge Paly as the game progressed, and the teams swapped baskets between some extreme back-and-forth frenzies.

While Paly showed signs of fatigue, St. Francis seemed reinvigorated during the second quarter. The first shot, made by Barich, came three minutes into the quarter. St. Francis’ first basket followed 30 seconds later. After an initial Paly lead, the Lancers found a steady pace for their offense by tallying three more field goals, a three pointer, and five of eight free throws, some of which were controversially awarded. In a surprising role reversal, St. Francis collected 16 points during the second quarter, while Paly amassed a meager 9 points.

The dramatic point of the quarter occurred in the middle of the fourth minute, as Barich was injured by a rough-housing Lady Lancer, eliciting sympathy from Paly fans in the stands. Barich was briefly benched, but returned to the court in the third quarter.

This temporary lull in Paly leadership may have allowed St. Francis more chances to shatter the Vikings’ defense. St. Francis’ unbridled energy wore Paly out, and as a result, the Lady Vikes let up on their defense. The quarter closed with St. Francis trailing 29-19.

Things looked grim for St. Francis as the third quarter proved to be dangerously similar to the first, with Paly earning an astounding 19 points. St. Francis tried desperately to catch up, but to no avail, as the Vikings stepped up their relentless offense and broke free of their near-stagnancy.

Determined to reaffirm their supremacy, the Vikings succeeded in thwarting a series of St. Francis’ shots, once again mounting an indomitable defensive front. The Lady Vikes advanced their own frontal assault as junior forward Nicole Behr initiated the scoring with a half-court drive culminating in a layup. The Lady Vikes rallied for the next few minutes with two field goals from McDermott and a 3-point shot from Pecota, just as the shot clock expired. With the scoreboard reading 39-22, St. Francis retaliated with three field goals, but Paly countered with three field goals and a 3-pointer. Paly’s final shot gave the Vikings’ a 21-point lead over St. Francis, 48-27.

In the fourth quarter, the once-persistent St. Francis appeared to be giving into their imminent defeat. As the quarter opened, the Lady Lancers lapsed into a near-indifferent mode of play as the Lady Vikes sustained their defensive stronghold.

Pecota instigated the round of scoring, plummeting yet another 3-pointer. Paly initially obliterated St. Francis with a five-basket blitz with contributions from McDermott, sophomore Taylor Lovely, sophomore Lizzie Henehan, Barich, and Nguyen, but the Lady Lancers, endeavoring to dignify themselves, responded with their own last-minute scoring showdown. A free throw from Nguyen concluded the scoring with a considerably reduced margin, 58-45.

"We had an excellent game," Barich said. "Although we have so much younger blood, we’re still playing really well."

The Lady Vikes take on Mountain View in their next home game, scheduled for Friday, Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m.