Junior Chidiogo Ofoegb, center for the Mayfair varsity girls basketball team, discusses the determining factor behind the team’s exceptional performance this season in the Suburban League.

"Last season, we didn’t really care," she says. "This year, we are more dedicated."

With a 6-2 record in league (15-7 overall at press time), the Lady Soons are currently placed second behind Bellflower, a standing that sharply contrasts the team’s last-place finish in the 2007-2008 season.

Ofoegb says this tremendous improvement can be attributed to their "intensity to win," a force she believes is the characteristic strength of the present roster.

In comparison to previous teams, junior forward Brianne Bunch feels the girls share a more familial relationship.

"There is no hostility against any of the players," she explains. "We grew up and realized playing basketball as a team and getting the win is more important."

Senior shooting guard Amari Richardson identifies "strong rebounding and good shooters" as key elements that have proved essential to Mayfair’s success in the first half of league play.

"Sometimes we just don’t play as well as we should," she adds.

This tendency is the only apparent limit to the advantage provided by the team’s existing talent.

"We don’t really have a weakness," Ofoegb admits, "as long as we play the game how we want to play it."

Bunch addresses the incidents of infallibility, namely the game against Bellflower, in whcih Mayfair’s one-point lead over the Bucs was lost at the final buzzer.

"It’s stressful. We shouldn’t let a team come that close to winning."

The girls will have to learn to "play our game and not the other team’s," Bunch adds, if they wish to overcome their formidable opponents in the second half of the season.

Kristine Diaz, junior point guard, has one goal in mind for the remaining games: not losing.

In light of the team’s recent accomplishments, this is very much a possibility.

"It’s the second round, and we’re determined to just win, said Diaz."