The Girls Varsity Basketball Team faced off with the Oakville Tigers in a Senior Night battle and won handily, 55-30, Feb. 24.

The Wildcats led the Tigers, 15-2, at the end of the first quarter thanks to a defensively sound effort.

“We knew we had a great scouting report,” Mr. James Alsup, head girls basketball coach, said. “That was probably one of the best quarters we’ve played defensively.”

The Wildcats continued the destruction of the Tigers in the second quarter, outscoring Oakville, 19-7, and led at the half, 34-9.

“We just decided to come out strong early,” Jessica Moore, guard, said. “I think having that mindset allowed us to jump out to a big lead.”

Lindsey McCoy, forward, led the team in scoring in the first half with 10 points followed closely by Moore with nine of her game-high 15 points.

“Some nights it’ll be Lindsey [McCoy] and Jessica [Moore] that dominate offensively, and other times it’s other players,” Coach Alsup said. “It’s whoever the ball finds and tonight it was them.”

The defensive expertise continued for the Wildcats in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers, 11-4, and leading, 45-13, heading to the fourth.

“They had a lot of players that would drive,” Torie Allen, guard, said. “We defended their drives really well.”

With the game on ice, the Wildcat seniors left the floor to a standing ovation with 5:54 left in the game.

“I thought the seniors performed really well,” Coach Alsup said. “This game can be a very emotional one, and they handled themselves well.”

Despite being outscored in the fourth, 17-10, the Wildcats coasted to a 55-30 victory with bench players in for the final 5:54.

“It’s always good to get the reserves in,” Coach Alsup said. “They practice hard and deserve the minutes.”

The Wildcat defense allowed more than seven points in just one quarter of the game. With this defense, the Wildcats forced 14 Tigers turnovers.

The Wildcats, with this win, extend their current winning streak to 13.

The next game for the girls will be a top five matchup against fourth-ranked Webster Groves, with EHS still ranked second.