Girls basketball took on a new look at their first home game on Nov. 19 against Hayward. Junior Faith Colby and sophomore Ruby James made their first appearances to the varsity scene.

In a thriller ending which extended to overtime, the Spartans fell to the Hurricanes 58-60. James scored a total of eight points, as Colby chipped in three of her own.

“I kind of just laughed it off and tried to relax,” Colby said.

Both Colby and James were nervous going into the game. Despite this, both found ways to overcome the feeling.

“I just tried to keep calm and talk to my teammates who have played before and see what they had done to deal with it,” said James.

Stepping up to varsity is a big deal, as it requires extra preparation.

“It’s definitely a lot more serious. You need to focus on being prepared for the different competition you’re going to see each night,” Colby said.

The last piece of preparation happens right before the game, and music is a part of that for many athletes. Colby said that if she was only allowed to listen to one song before a game, she would listen to “Flashing Lights” by Kanye West. On the other hand, James said she would listen to “Open the Gate” by Zach Bryan.

Both Colby and James played bigtime minutes late for the Spartans, and the two could grow along with the rest of the young team throughout this coming season. The girls’ next home game is on Tuesday, Nov. 26.