By Wendy Hayworth
Reporter for the Tribune

Lady Bronco Varsity Basketball fans were treated to something beautiful this past season. A team, united on and off the court, brought the Broncos their longest winning streak and their first undefeated regular season.

Photo by Amy Chinnery-Valmassei

Before this season, their longest winning streak was 12 games, with their best season (percentage-wise) ending at 25-5.

The Lady Bronco’s new record-breaking 24-game winning streak mirrors their undefeated status for the regular season.

Unfortunately, they suffered their first lost during their first District game on Tuesday, February 28 against Belton, 47-46.

“It was quite the heartbreaker,” Girls Head Basketball Coach Tricia Lilygren said. When reflecting on the season as a whole, however, Lilygren said that she was “thrilled by the experience we had.”

The secret to their success, according to Lilygren, was the closeness and chemistry of the team.

“The girls truly were best friends on and off the court,” Lilygren said. “They supported each other. It was beautiful to watch and be a part of.”

The girls had a motto that they would write on the board before every game, #daybyday. The idea was to take each day one at a time. Take each game one at a time. This became especially important as the season progressed and the target of “undefeated” lay on their backs.

“I don’t think I could have asked for anything more,” Lilygren said. “They gave me everything they had.”

In addition to ending their spectacular season, the Lady Broncos will be saying goodbye to three of their family members.

According to Lilygren, the three seniors “modeled what you would hope every senior class would be like,” and were real role models for the team.

Aaliyah Johnson, Number 23, was either a part time starter or a starter for four seasons. However, she always “came back to team goals” as a critical part of her approach to playing.

Point Guard Jordan Jennings, 30, was the off-the-court organizer. She did the behind the scenes extras that don’t show up in the reported statistics, but play a crucial role in creating a family.

Tat’yanna Stewart, 25, handled her role on the team in a way that truly impressed Lilygren. She could come off the bench and jump into any role that was needed.

“One of the hardest things about coaching is having everyone on the same page, following the same mission,” Lilygren said. “We had everyone from the players to the parents, and great things happened.”

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