After a long winter break, the Coronado Islanders girls’ basketball team, winners of seven straight, returned to the hardwood this week, looking to extend their winning streak.

While the week started promising enough, it would ultimately be a 1-1 week. While the Islanders picked up a Friday night win against the Madison Warhawks, the Lincoln Hornets snapped their winning streak in the league opener, moving their record to 8-1.

“It was nice to win against Madison, but that game against Lincoln was a wake-up call,” said Islanders Head Coach John Coolidge. “Lincoln is the number six team in the county for a reason. I think it showed the girls we need to turn it up a dial if we want to beat teams like that.”

Let’s start with the good news first. The Friday game against Madison was business as usual for Coronado, as they thumped the Warhawks by the final score of 43-15. The Islanders, one of the best defensive teams in the county, flexed their muscle again by allowing only eight first-half points to Madison.

Emily Albin and Siena Kieffer dominated the post and controlled the glass for Coronado throughout the game. The duo would combine for eight blocks and ten rebounds in the victory. Along with her six rebounds and four blocks, Albin continued to be an offensive force in the paint as she tallied 10 points in the win.

Leading the Islanders in scoring in their win over Madison would yet again by Gabby Fichter as she dropped 17 points on the Warhawks while logging three blocks and four steals. Fichter picked apart the Madison defense, knocking down a pair of three balls from the perimeter while being clinical from inside. Senior Selena Herrera also found herself in double digits as she logged 11 points in the win.

“We put Emily in the low post and Siena in the high post, and they caused chaos; Madison could not get a shot off up against them,” noted Coolidge. “On offense, Gabby led us. Her outside shot is starting to find its rhythm. She is a really good spot-up shooter, so we have had her on the wing more. She keeps getting better at learning to come to the ball and take open shots.”

With their win against Madison, Coronado sat with a pristine 8-0 record. But as stated at the top, that 8-0 record would see its first blemish when they fell to Lincoln in a 79-16 route.

Coronado had no answers for the Hornets’ leading scorer, Asia Darcuiel. She dropped 32 points on Coronado, including connecting on three three-pointers while dishing eight assists on the night.

While the Islanders struggled to slow down Darcuiel, their offense struggled to find its footing and any rhythm in the loss. Coronado would be double-digit in the turnover department, as Lincoln registered 12 steals.

The Hornets’ athleticism allowed them to close quickly on the perimeter, and their bigs were the first team this season to handle Coronado’s big downs in the post.

“We looked a bit defeated in the first half. We have one of the best defenses in the county, and we let them have too many open threes and cut inside too easily,” said Coolidge. “The girls played better in the third and fourth quarter, but still, it was a wake-up call.”

Coronado will look to dust off the loss and get back in the win column this week, as they are slated to play a pair of Central League games, hosting the 10-6 Kearny Komets on Tuesday, January 14, and Mission Bay on Friday, January 17.