Senior Night for successful Pandas

By Kylie Aytes ’22/NDA Publications

The basketball Pandas have a record of 17-3 coming into tonight’s Senior Night game vs. St. Henry. These two losses come to top state powers Sacred Heart (twice) and Bullit East.

The team has seen much success in the season through their 17 wins, some by 50+ points and others coming down to the wire. Notable milestones so far include going undefeated in both the 35th District and the Ninth Region, and competing in the prestigious Louisville Invitational Tournament as an at-large team.

Senior Night is a celebration of the Pandas’ seven seniors: Kylie Aytes, Lacey Bradshaw, Abby Breeze, Drue Disken, Macie Feldman, Jillian MacKnight and Olivia Scharstein, who will be recognized before tipoff.

“I’m so excited for senior day, and I can’t believe it’s here,” Scharstein said, “but it’s bittersweet because I don’t want basketball and my high school career to be over.”

The team has adopted the motto “23% more” for MacKnight, No. 23, whose season ended prematurely by an ACL tear in December. The Pandas have rallied together to play not only for themselves but for her, warming up in T-shirts that say “2021-22 for 23.”

After tonight, the Pandas have three more regular-season games before beginning district tournament play. Regional games against Conner and Dixie Heights, canceled by last week’s winter storm, will not be rescheduled.