The final buzzer in the girls’ varsity basketball game against Willow Glen High School on Saturday, Feb. 22 signaled the end of three things: The game, their journey in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Division II playoffs, and the 2024-25 season. The Panthers closed out their season with a 15-9 overall and 10-2 league record, but fell short to the Rams 50-37 — a disappointing playoff result for a team that reached the CCS quarterfinals last year.
“We lost the first round, which was kind of upsetting,” senior Nat Gyde said. “We lost sooner than I had hoped. [But] I think some of us were kind of done, and happy to be finished with the season.”
For the majority of the season, the Panthers had taken advantage of the first quarter, using their speed and height to score fastbreak layups, opening up big leads and playing from ahead the rest of the way. But this time, the team got off to a rough start against Willow Glen’s unpredictable and high-octane offense.
Their struggles carried into the second half, with the Rams standing their ground on defense through effective and unpredictable double-teams. Although the Panthers made a push in the third quarter to cut the deficit, they couldn’t overcome the slow start and ultimately failed to complete the comeback.
“We’re usually the team that gets up by a lot in the beginning, but this time, I felt like it was kind of the opposite,” Gyde said. “We always have a good third quarter, but we just weren’t able to get the win in the end.”
This defeat extended their losing streak to four games to end the season, a stretch where Burlingame had to deal with rampant sickness, various injuries, and the mental obstacle of overcoming the disappointment of previous losses.
“That kind of sucked for us because we knew that we were not in our prime,” Gyde said. “I guess we kind of were disorganized, and we’re more focused on the fact that we just lost three times in a row.”
Despite the defeat against the Rams, multiple players still made notable contributions on the court during the game. Junior Sam Arce dominated in the key with aggressive rebounding, junior Haleh Ansari racked up layups with relentless effort, and senior Hailey Miller continued to lead the team in scoring.
“We had a rough start, but we tried to stay calm and collective and move on, because we knew it was going to be like a hard game,” junior Givanna Shqair said. “We could have probably had a better game, but we were just proud of how far we’ve come. I would say we played our best.”
Gyde admires the team’s consistency, momentum, and perseverance. Before the losing streak, the Panthers had gone undefeated in 10 consecutive league games before their loss versus Pacific Collegiate.
“I think we did a lot better [than last year],” Gyde said. “This year, we really just locked in on what we were good at and understood. We knew we were good at transition layups, we knew we were good at defense, and we knew what worked for us.”
Another key factor in their performance this year was how the group built upon its own chemistry, becoming more comfortable working together on the court.
“Our team chemistry has definitely become stronger,” Shqair said. “We’ve definitely come together [and have] been communicating more, and our team this year just felt more natural than last year.”
Going into next season, the group must face the departure of seven seniors: Gyde, Miller, Miranda Sibley, Momo Egan, Ella McHenry, Rhian Cordero, and Siena La Mark. For a team that had remained essentially intact for the past two seasons, losing more than half of its players — and nearly all of the starting five — will certainly be a challenge come next fall.
“I’ve made a lot of friendships through basketball, and some of my closest friends are [in it],” Gyde said. “Basketball is the reason why they are my closest friends. And it’s really sad to think that we’ll never be able to play with each other again, and that we’ll never be able to drive to games together again, or get food after practice. This is the end.”
However, Shqair is confident that by giving enthusiasm, maintaining a positive feedback system and prioritizing open communication, the Panthers will return as a formidable force next season.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge trying to adjust and having people fill in those missing spots,” Shqair said. “[But] now that it’s my senior year next year… I feel pretty ready to take on [leading] the team.”
Although these losses took their toll on the Panthers’ spirits, their second place finish in the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division proved they found success when they could bond on and off the court. In the end — according to Shqair — that felt like a win.
“It just felt like family,” Shqair said. “It felt like an escape… like after a very long, rough day at school, I could just go play basketball and be with my friends.”
