Jan. 24, Branson girls varsity basketball (8-13, 2-4 in MCAL), played against Marin Catholic (14-5, 6-0) in a heated showdown at College of Marin. The game was also the team’s senior night ceremony, which celebrated their lone senior, team captain Julia St. John ‘24. The Bulls entered the game on a three-game win streak and had a chance to get back to 500 in league play. Marin Catholic proved to be a tough opponent, as the Wildcats, who were 5-0 in league play and had won every game in league play by double digits, continued their impressive run with a 48-25 victory over Branson.
Starting for the Bulls were St. John, Paige Macy ‘25, Maya De Santiago ‘25, Avery Myerberg ‘25 and Barbara Hernandez ‘26. The first substitutes, Ginger Oldmixon ‘25 and Melody Farhid ‘27, entered with two minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Bulls started off slow, trailing 16-3 after the first quarter, but they picked up the offense in the second quarter, starting with a pivotal three pointer from St. John with five minutes, six seconds left in the quarter. They proceeded to convert on six free throws in the rest of the quarter, including three free throws at the buzzer from Myerberg, who showed off her ability to create by drawing two fouls on three point attempts leading to five made free throws.
Branson history teacher Ashton Richards said, “I love the scrappiness of our Bulls team. The effort they put in on the court is truly inspiring.”
The Bulls started the second half with the ball and continued to fight. They kept up with the Wildcats in the second half, showing a strong defensive performance and only giving up 14 points. The Bulls only made one substitution in the first four minutes of the second half, with Talia Schneiter ‘27 showing off her hustle by fighting for a loose ball and drawing a foul.
Mark Carlson, head coach of freshman boys basketball, said, “I’m always happy to watch Julia and Avery play, and their supporting cast always hussles and tries their hardest, which I think is really important.”
Branson got the offense rolling with a couple minutes left in the fourth quarter, sparked by a rejection at the rim from St. John, leading to a shot clock violation. The turnover led St. John to hitting a three-pointer from the left wing, giving her a great moment to remember from this game. The Bulls then scored four more before time expired, including a buzzer beating layup from De Santiago.
Although it was not the result they wanted, the Bulls showed flashes of excellence throughout the game and provided the crowd with an entertaining edition of this rivalry game.
