The girls’ basketball team competed in the Pat Patterson tournament at Hamline University according to Head Coach Arsenio Richardson. He said Park’s first loss to Stillwater was downcast yet optimistic.

“It’s a tough way to go out in an opening game,” Richardson said. “But we have twenty six more games.”

The final score of Park’s game against Stillwater Friday, Nov. 23 was 47-59 in favor of Stillwater, according to MN Girls’ Basketball Hub.

“It’s game one so we know there are going to be some mistakes and we are just going to go and get better from here,” Richardson said. “The goal is always to be the best in March and not in November.”

According to senior Lindsey Olsen, losing to Stillwater in their first game will not be representative of their upcoming season.

“I think we are going to be really good, we just have to progress and get better,” Olsen said.

According to Richardson, the team could have been more assertive during the first game, and seeks to improve the communication between players on the court.

“Basketball is a team sport so you have to have great communication,” Richardson said. “We really didn’t talk as much as we would like, but that is something we can continue to work on.”

Despite the loss to Stillwater, Park beat Lakeville South 63-60, according to MN Girls’ Basketball Hub. The team showed good chemistry, including during their game against Stillwater, according to Richardson.

“We threw a lot at them, we wanted to do a lot of different things and they did a really good job adjusting and playing for one another,” Richardson said.

According to MN Girls’ Basketball Hub, Park’s next game will be against Tartan at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in the Breakdown Tip-off Classic, located at Hopkins High School East Gym.