By DREW GRANTHUM/Sports Writer

HOMEWOOD — The Westminster-Oak Mountain girls varsity basketball team came into a Jan. 10 matchup with the Alabama School for the Deaf riding a wave of momentum, as the Knights captured their first win in school history their last game out against Oak Grove Dec. 21.

Unfortunately for the Knights, another win was not in the cards, as the Silent Warriors took a 39-27 win.

Westminster got on the board first when Makayla McDaniel sank a basket early in the first quarter. The Silent Warriors responded with a 6-0 run to close out the quarter, taking the 6-2 lead headed into the second.

The Silent Warriors picked up the tempo in the second quarter, going on a 4-0 run before Collins Mills hit a shot to bring the score to 10-4 in favor of ASD. After an ASD free throw and bucket, Anna Caroline Griffith sank a bucket, getting a foul and a free throw in the process to pull the Knights within six at 13-7.
Two baskets by the Silent Warriors followed by a pair of free throws by Olivia Godfrey brought the half to a close, with ASD up 17-9.

Westminster-Oak Mountain came out of the gate scoring in the second half, going on a 4-0 run. ASD took over from there, going on an 11-0 run to take a 28-13 lead late in the third.

Mills broke the skid with a basket, but the Silent Warriors added three more points to take a commanding 31-15 lead headed into the fourth.

Anna Rebekah Richburg posted the first points of the quarter for Westminster-Oak Mountain. ASD responded with four unanswered points, before the Knights responded with seven unanswered points courtesy of Mills Richburg to close the score to 39-24.

A three by Mills late in the quarter pulled the Knights within 12, but the deficit was simply too much to overcome, as the Silent Warriors took the 39-27 win.

Head coach Dana Gache said she felt her team improved, despite the loss.

“I thought towards the end of the game,” he said. “We stepped up our defense and really started pushing the ball well. We’re a very young team, so building our confidence is very important. Games like this really help us.”

The Knights move on to face Montevallo Jan. 11.