The West Branch girls’ basketball has faced tough competition to start the season, and that didn’t change when they played host to Juniata Valley this past Wednesday. West Branch kept it close after one quarter, trailing 16-6. Sarah Gugliemli kept West Branch going in the second quarter with a bucket and a nice pass to Isabella Kerfoot, who put it in for the layup. Unfortunately, those would be the only four points that the Warriors could put on the board in the second quarter. They went into the half trailing 34-10.

The Hornets continued the pressure on the Warriors in the second half. With West Branch only having seven players, it became tough to keep up and as Juniata Valley consistently subbed in fresh players in, while the Warriors grew worn down.  Guard Irelyn Briscoe hit a three-pointer in the second half, but it was not enough.  The Warriors scored only six points in the second half, ending the game with a final score of 51-16. Guglielmi led the Warriors with eight points, while Briscoe hit the lone three-pointer and finished with three points. Their record for the season drops to 0-6.

After losing their all time leading scorer, Jenna Mertz, and adjusting to a new head coach this season, the Warriors knew it was going to be a rebuilding year. However, there is still a long way to go and the team remains optimistic about turning the season around.

Junior Isabella Kerfoot has noticed improvement in the team despite the slow start saying, “ I feel like we’ve improved a lot as a team, especially in rebounding and defense.” Kerfoot also acknowledged the challenges of having a small team adding, “We’re starting to work better together and getting better considering our team is small and pretty young.”

The Lady Warriors look to get their first win over Christmas break as they will hold their annual holiday tournament.