Leading up to the first girls varsity basketball game of the season against the No. 2 ranked team in Kansas, Derby High School, senior captain Claire Suchma said the team’s head coach Tiffany Dirks preached the importance of working as a team. According to Suchma, this idea of teamwork helped the girls pull off the win. 

“Coach Dirks has really emphasized team first,” Suchma said. “Everything has been about the team, no individual stats.” 

Before the game, Dirks said the players reinforced this idea of  “team first” in their pregame locker room talks. 

“The girls were ready,” Dirks said. “In the locker room before the game they were just excited, they were pumped and they kept saying we’re a team and we’re gonna do this together.” 

However, at the end of the first quarter, the Huskies found themselves trailing Derby 9-3, but throughout the entire second quarter, BVNW kept Derby scoreless, making the score 11-9 at halftime. 

As well as focusing on working as a team, Dirks said the team also had to put a strong focus on Derby’s division I Iowa State commit, Addy Brown. Both Suchma and Dirks said they did this by putting juniors Elise and Josie Grosdidier against her throughout the game. 

“Elise and Josie Grosdidier were the ones that we felt had the strongest ability to guard her. Those two I thought were strong enough and savvy enough that they could guard her,” Dirks said. 

Suchma agreed with Dirks, saying she felt the Grosdidiers were real difference makers for them in this game. 

“With Addy Brown, we got her in foul trouble on the offensive end,” Suchma said. “Defensively, the Grosdidier twins did a great job of really locking her down.”

At the end of the game, the Huskies defeated Derby 41-32, to win their first matchup of the season. 

Suchma said the team felt great after being able to pull out a victory against such a talented opponent. 

“[Winning] felt amazing,” Suchma said. “Derby is ranked second in the state so it felt great.” 

The team will step out onto the court again on Dec. 6, in the Girls Varsity Classic, which will take place at De Soto High School.