The Hinsdale Central Girls Basketball team played against their rival LT on Tuesday night in the Hinsdale Central main gym at 7:30. The girls lost 47-66 after coming off of a win against Glenbard West on November 11. This is the team’s second loss, as their record is 2-6.

The team received a lot of support from other students and athletes at Hinsdale Central. The cheerleading team cheered for the girls along with the Hinsdale Central Girls Lacrosse team who were recognized at half-time for placing third in the state for the 2024 season. 

The team has a new head and assistant coaches for the season, Brett Moore and Gia Pellizsarri.

Players on the basketball team explained their emotions before the game. 

“Similar to how it is before every game we had some nerves, but we did a lot to prepare in practice and made sure we had great energy from all of the players in warmups which I think really helps everyone’s confidence,” said Sascha Mokhtarain, junior.

Another player on the team stated how she felt prior to the rivalry game.

“With any game I always feel a rush of excitement along with nerves, so this one was no different. Obviously with the built-up rivalry and the intense feeling of wanting to win, me and the rest of the team were pumped for the game. There was a lot of support from fans at the game which adds to the thrill and intensity,” said Adrianna Giannini, junior. 

Both the coaches and players were proud of the girls’ performance during the game. 

“It wasn’t the outcome that we wanted, but there were great moments where everything was coming together and I think overall we had high intensity and great energy,” Mokhtarian said.

Other players had similar opinions. 

“Although we didn’t get the win, I was happy with the team’s play. We had a strong first half and it was exciting for us to get the chance to show what we have been working hard at for the past month,” Giannini said.

Players and coaches both have a lot of personal goals and team goals for the remainder of the season.

“To be honest my personal goal with any season is answering this question: What can I do to impact the team? No matter big or small I just want to help get as much success as possible while also enjoying the sport we all love to play,” said Giannini. “For team goals we are all going into this season with a fresh and positive mindset. With the amazing coaching we are receiving with Moore and Gia we just want to make them proud and put 100 percent effort into everything we do.”

Coaches had a different perspective on what goals the team should accomplish during the season.

“I want our girls to keep getting better every day. Over the summer we used the slogan “Get 1 percent better today.” That is our number one goal,” said Brett Moore, varsity head coach. “We have won four out of the six of our first games. It’s a great start and I think we are already exceeding expectations.” 

The next Hinsdale Central Girls Basketball game is scheduled for Saturday Dec. 7 against Proviso West at home. 

Here is a link to the team’s schedule https://www.maxpreps.com/il/hinsdale/hinsdale-central-red-devils/basketball/girls/schedule/.