On Friday, January 27, at the girls’ Blue Out game at McGrath-Phillips Arena, the Romans led the Colonels for all four quarters, and took home the victory, 75-31.

The Romans started off the game strong, as they gained an early lead and held it for the entirety of the contest. In the first quarter, Raya Smith and UIC commit, senior Megen Sanaj, led the Romans offensive attack, with Sanaj scoring six and Smith scoring seven. Sanaj made a huge three right at the end of the quarter to assure Latin’s dominance in the first eight minutes of the ballgame. Parker, however, did get some offensive momentum near the end of the first, coming back to score 7 points in the last two minutes of the quarter. After quarter number one, the Romans lead the Colonels 30-7.

Latin continued their lead in the second quarter, with a 10-2 run highlighted by a three from Ariel Goodman at the five-minute mark. The Colonels continued to fight a scored 10 more points in the quarter. The Romans gained 22 points in the second and led the Colonels 52-17 at the half. Sanaj continued her offensive prowess, finishing the half with 16 points, while Raya Smith put up 15 points, deeply supporting Sanaj. 

Junior Riya Jain brought significant momentum for the Colonels with a buzzer-beater jumpshot into the half. Jain finished the night as Parker’s leading scorer with 8 points. 

Sophomore Spencer Dunbar, ranked 12 for rebounds, made her presence known in the paint on the defensive end, playing good on-ball defense, as well as leading the Colonels in rebounds. 

The Colonels had significant foul trouble all night, and after the game, senior captain Lucy Wrubel reflected on Parker’s struggle on the defensive end. “I think we were frustrated and overwhelmed by the situation,” Wrubel said. “I think around half-time, though, we were able to pull it together and become more controlled with our defense.”

The Romans continued their offensive game for the remainder of the game. Sanaj led Latin in scoring with 25 points.  When asked about the significance of playing such a big role in her final game against her school’s largest rival, Sanaj said, “It feels good that the rivalry is still alive. Being able to gain support from the people who watch and show what we can do is amazing.”

Parker’s head coach Christina Barnett reflected on how the team can bounce back for the remainder of the season after a disappointing loss.

“We just need to continue to work on the things we have worked on all season and try to execute by watching film, and studying. That’s all we can do,” Barnett said. 

The girls team will play four more games this season on their regular schedule including three conference games at home against Lake Forest Academy, Elgin Academy, and Willows Academy. They will play one non-conference game taking on Ridgewood in Norridge.  

Team Captain Anya Landolt was proud of her team’s hard work throughout the game and the season for her last time playing against Latin at DePaul. “I just feel happy,” Landolt said. “I love the team and I’m really happy that everyone went out there and kept supporting each other and kept trying hard until the end.”

The Parker girls are currently sitting in last place in the ISL, with a conference record of 0-7, and an overall record of 3-13, though they are looking to come back. Latin is currently in first place in the ISL, with a conference record of 5-0, and an overall record of 14-7.