On January 24, the CVHS girls basketball team played against Michael E Debakey’s girls team. Despite a tough loss of 9 to 25, the girls got together to celebrate Senior Night alongside the CVHS boys basketball team.
Senior Night, common amongst high school and college team sports, is an event where the athletes of a team gather to honor and recognize their senior players at the last home game of the season.
This year, four girls from the CVHS basketball team were a part of Senior Night. Aretha CCOkeke the girls basketball captain, Ariyanna Thottam, Deniz Caliskan, Claire Plante and Sophia Santiuste were decorated with flowers and personalized posters after their game.
“I loved it, it was so cute and a nice surprise after a tough game,” Plante said.
The posters and flowers were all CCOkeke’s idea, as well as the announcement of all the senior players after their game. As captain, she suggested to send the players off for their final games in a memorable way.
“I reached out to a bunch of people to get everything together…in the end we found someone who was willing to celebrate with us and announce our names during Senior Night,” CCOkeke said.
CCOkeke also reflected on the journey to her leadership position, and how her peers have shaped her time on the team.
“The girls coming to practice, showing up, and putting their best foot forward- I really appreciate it,” CCOkeke reflected.
After the game, the girls shared their experiences on the team and how far they had come. Some players had been playing for years, while others were newer to the team. Santiuste, describes how she enjoyed getting to meet new people each year on the team.
“I’m a very friendly person, so getting to meet all the new players each year was nice. I got to make a lot of new friends,” Santiuste said.
Player Deniz Caliskan holds a similar attitude, elaborating on how the team members and shared culture made her look forward to certain aspects of being on the team.
“My favorite part of being on the team were the practices. We all got to bond, make good memories and push ourselves,” Caliskan stated.
Caliskan also mentioned how she was most proud of their game against East Early Highschool. She notes that the team felt the most cohesive and prepared.
“We won 24 to 7 so that was a nice confidence boost,” Caliskan said.
The girls anticipate two more future games. CCOkeke hopes to continue her efforts to push, motivate, and support the team as they near the end of the season.
“I try to make sure they feel seen as a basketball team as that goes a long way,” CCOkeke ended.
