![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Varsity girls basketball suffered a defeat to Notre Dame High School 41-63 in the Zhang Gymnasium on Wednesday.
Harker won the tip-off but lost possession from a steal by the Regents. Point guard Isabella Lo (12) answered with a three-pointer which was quickly returned by the Regents to tie the game at 3-3. The Regents capitalized on another steal to take the lead before point guard Jillian Chen (9) nailed a three-pointer and guard Sanika Das (10) made a block, bringing the score to 13-10. Both teams maintained a strong defense, and the first quarter ended with the Eagles ahead 15-12 and the Regents with possession heading into the second quarter.
Opening the quarter with a layup, a three-pointer and another layup, the Regents quickly gained a 15-19 lead. The Eagles struggled offensively but made several defensive rebounds. Notre Dame quickly racked up points with additional layups and a three-pointer to push their lead to 15-26. With a minute and 30 seconds left in the quarter, Jillian closed the gap with four back-to-back free throws, and the quarter ended at 21-31.
“They were a very tough team to play, and they beat us on many rebounds, which limited our possessions,” guard Claire Yu (11) said. “We fought hard, especially the guards who drove into the paint and got fouled a lot this game. Our posts also showed up and got us a lot of defensive rebounds.”
The Eagles persevered in the third quarter with points scored by forward Finley Ho (10) and crucial blocks by post player Emily Mitnick (12). Notre Dame took advantage of the Eagles’ missed opportunities which widened Notre Dame’s lead by 14 points. With a layup made by Emily five and a half minutes into the quarter and free throws by Jillian giving the Eagles a few points, they were still unable to close the large gap, ultimately ending the quarter 29-42.
“We correctly identified their key players and how they operated, but we didn’t utilize the findings properly until the end of the game,” Sanika said. “Playing an upper league team like Notre Dame helped us set the standard of how we should aim to play and compete, and the main goal for the rest of the season is to maintain a standard as a strong team that bounces back from losses and competes intensely with upper league schools.”
Entering the final quarter, the Eagles found themselves trailing significantly. Despite efforts by the Eagles to disrupt the Regents’ rhythm, Notre Dame’s string of three-pointers widened the gap to 34-54. Jillian and Claire made solid attempts to gain points, but Notre Dame’s defensive pressure forced turnovers. Isabella brought the Eagles back into the running with a steal, two layups and a field goal with 30 seconds left on the clock. Notre Dame stayed consistent and finished with a three-pointer to secure their win, with the Eagles falling short 41-63.
Jillian’s mother Annie Yang acknowledged the team’s rough performance during the match but expressed optimism for their future games.
“This team was a tough one for them to experience, but they have gotten better,” Yang said. “They are making progress, and I look forward to them playing the league games later.”
The team plays Castilleja next on Jan. 14 to build on their record of 11-2.
