Oakton Girls basketball has always been one of the school’s most impressive teams, with winning records, an award winning coach, and a talented group of players. Now, the team can add 2015 6A North Region Champions to their long list of victories.
Many Oakton students attended this nail biter game to cheer on the team, and it was the most highly attended match this season. The Cougars went into the championship game, occurring Saturday night hosted by Robinson High School, with an already spectacular record of 27-1, including their district championship win. The Warhawks, holding a record of 23-6, were a strong opponent for the Cougars
This victory wasn’t easy. Madison, led by star player Kelly Koshuta, was ahead at the end of the first quarter by 8 points. However, during the second quarter, Oakton was able to capitalize on their chances, and headed into halftime leading 22-21. The rest of the game was extremely close, with the leadconstantly switching back and fourth between Oakton and Madison. But in the end, it was the Cougars who came out on top, defeating Madison 50-42 and earning their second regional title in four years.
Sophomore powerhouse duo Delaney Connolly and Maddie Royal were huge assets to the Cougars. Delaney Connolly, a sophomore on the team, was named Tournament MVP Honors for her outstanding performance against Madison, scoring four threes and 20 additional points. Royle came up with five outstanding blocks for the Cougars that helped shift the momentum in Oakton’s favor. Another key player was senior Karlie Cronin. Cronin, who just suffered an ACL injury 7 months ago, is committed to play basketball in college at Southern Methodist University. Although not scoring many points in this game, she played outstanding defense for the Cougars and assisted many of the team’s points.
The Cougars will make the trip to Richmond, Virginia this coming Friday to play in States at Virginia Commonwealth University. There they will face off against the loser of 6A South Region final to be played Monday night between Bethel and Cosby, and hope to bring home a State Championship title for the first time in since 2012.
