The varsity basketball team lost 33-44 to St. James Academy on senior night Feb. 9. Despite the loss it was the fundraiser along with the game that was important to the team according to coach Leslie Berger.

That evening was senior night honoring the three seniors Camille Keane, Rachael Beck and Madison Heide.  Also the team raised money for the American Heart Association by auctioning off hats the team made together and selling Red-out t-shirts.

The night began with acknowledging the team seniors and their commitment to the team.  Two of the three seniors, Beck and Keane, are currently out for the season due to injuries.  Because this was the team’s last home game, Beck and Keane got to suit up and play for a few seconds marking their last game played at Sion.  The only senior currently playing, Heide, had a strong showing of her defensive skills against St. James.

Sophomore point guard Sarah Totta said that a special camaraderie has developed between all the teammates especially between the seniors and the underclassmen and it will be hard to see that go.

“Even though Camille and Rachael have been out most of the season, they still feel just as important to the team as if they were still playing,” Totta said. “We’ll surely miss Camille’s scoring, Heide’s intensity and Rachel’s height next year.”

Senior night made this game incredibly special but also, the team was doing some extra work behind the scenes for this game.

February is Heart Month, a month dedicated to heart disease, the number one killer for men and women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under the leadership of their coach, Leslie Berger, the team created hats to be auctioned off and t-shirts to sell at the game.  Berger said that the team wanted to raise awareness of this disease and have a unique fundraiser.  The donations totaled $663 for the American Heart Association.

“This was our first year, our first run at [the fundraiser] so hopefully next year we’ll make it bigger and it’ll just keep growing,” Berger said.