For the first time in its 18-year history, Providence Classical Christian School (PCCS), Kirkland, has a high school girls basketball team.

During its debut competition, using a mostly-inexperienced squad of only five girls, PCCS was narrowly defeated by Puget Sound Adventist Academy (PSAA) 36-37 in a contest that lured enthusiastic parents and fellow PCCS students to root for their excited girls. In a match-up the following week, PCCS again lost to PSAA by only one point 30-29 in a defeat that Providence head coach Lindsey Elliott called “heartbreaking.”

“It was inspiring to watch the girls play,” said Providence Athletic Director Nathan Morris. ”Reyna (Lacalli) played her heart out and finished strong in spite of injuries and exhaustion. The other girls played good, hard defense and had opportunities to shoot, but were not able to score for Providence.”

Lacalli, a junior, is the only girl on the squad who previously played team basketball and was the sole scorer in the first competition. During the second game, she was joined by sophomore Julia Wheeler, who added two points and sophomore Olivia Hatcher, who added one more point.

Elliott said she was pleasantly surprised by how well the girls did in the first game; Providence led PSAA during much of the second game. “The girls had a great first showing,” Elliott said. “They played well defensively and learned even as the game went along. We’re excited to get back in the gym and make some adjustments…”

Most of the girls on the basketball team also played on the Providence winning volleyball team, which competed in the state playoffs in November with Elliott serving as assistant coach.