Cherry Hill High School East faced off against Eastern High School in an intense girls varsity basketball game on January 7th. Despite a strong effort, East fell to Eastern with a final score of 49-36.
The starting lineup for East included Jessie Atlas (‘27), Darby Chhabria (‘25), Erin Winslow (‘25), Dylan Kratchman (‘27), and Michelle Le (‘26). Winslow set the tone early for East, scoring the first points of the game. The first quarter ended with both teams tied at 10-10.
As the game unfolded, Eastern expanded their lead and by halftime the scoreboard showed a 22-15 advantage for Eastern. Kratchman started off the second half scoring first, followed by Darby Chhabria (‘25). Kratchman also dominated on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds. However, Eastern held firm and by the end of the third quarter they extended their lead to 35-24.
Although being outsized, East showed moments of strong teamwork and determination. From cheering on teammates after every point, to huddling after every foul showing unity. Despite the loss, East’s players displayed resilience and skill throughout the game.
“Eastern is always a competitive match up for East and today was a tough loss for our team, but I am proud of us for playing hard until the last second of the game” said Atlas.
This game highlighted East’s potential and areas for growth as the team looks forward to upcoming matchups. East remains determined to refine their strategies and come back stronger.
“We’ll watch a lot of film and pull apart different things they run. We’ll practice for several hours of how to go about their offense and defense. We’ll also shoot a lot. I think just really focusing on cutting down our turnovers and playing our roles will be the biggest thing” said Kratchman.
While the scoreboard didn’t go in East’s favor, the game against Eastern highlighted the team’s grit. The final score ended up being 49-36 with Chhabria as the highest scorer, with 19 points. Following behind her, Le contributed nine points to the team. With a clear plan to address areas for improvement and working hard, East’s Girls Varsity Basketball team is prepared to bounce back in their second matchup against Eastern, later on in the season.