Girls basketball team making history at Maces Lane Middle School

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – The Maces Lane Middle School girls basketball team is breaking barriers and making history this year and they’re showing no signs of slowing down .

“At first we didn’t know each other, now we’re basically like sisters, “said team captain Krystiana Gibbs.

It’s a team, that’s since become a family. But it wasn’t always this way. Because this Maces Lane Middle School girls basketball team never existed. Until this year.

“This is the first girls basketball team that they’ve had in the history of the school and the school has been around for about 66 years,” said assistant coach SanTigsha Pickett.

Officials say the reason why there never was a girls basketball team, was because there just wasn’t much interest. But that all changed when these students came into the picture.

“I was like there’s a boys’ team but not a girls’ team,” Gibbs said.

After some convincing from these girls and their parents they reached an agreement with the principal. And this team officially became the Maces Lane Middle School Tigers.

“They look forward to game days they love playing against other teams they love traveling to see other players and how they practice or what they look like,” said head coach Jeremiah Howe.

But this new journey hasn’t come without it’s fair share of challenges. The team was left without a head coach for some time after their initial one quit unexpectedly. But a fellow teacher, decided to step up to the plate.

“I came in one day to see their practice and they didn’t have a coach. We don’t have a lot of things for our youth in this community so I would really rather the girls be in the gym then being on the streets,” said Howe.

Now, the girls who’ve started it all are hopeful that this opportunity will be here for generations to come

“Hopefully the team that I’m leaving behind can keep it going, keep the team going,” Gibbs said.

And although this team is still in its early stages they believe next year will be bigger than ever. Now the coaches tell 47 that because the girls team was put together a little later in the season, they’ve only been able to play about five games. But they’re expecting a full schedule next season. And will be holding tryouts for any student who’s interested in joining the team.