It was the start of a four day weekend at Skyline. Anxious fans, family, friends and alumni were ready to cheer on the Lady Trojans basketball team’s final home game of the season.

Skyline faced the Rams of City College of San Francisco on Feb. 17. City College immediately set the tempo of the game. The Rams applied full-court pressure defensively the entire first half, taking an early 46-23 advantage at halftime. From there, the deficit seemed to be too much for the Trojans to overcome. With the Rams in control at halftime, they cruised on to win 88-40, handing Skyline their third loss in three meetings with the Rams this season.

While City College’s record (25-2) speaks for itself, the Trojans fought hard and played like they have been all season. Despite the loss to the first-place team in the Coast Conference, the Trojans still battled hard all game and continued to play basketball the only way they know how.

“It’s the fight we have, the confidence to not quit,” said Sherine Johnson, sophomore guard for the Trojans. “No matter what the score is, we try to finish it out. Either win or lose, we still stay positive.”

In the final five minutes of the game, Skyline’s head coach, Trisha Hosley, played the five sophomores on the team. Ashley Lotti, a sophomore post, explained how she bonded with her teammates by fighting hard and improving.

“We made this really strong bond, and we talked about it before the game,” Lotti said. “We had a huge audience tonight; it was great to show them that we learned to play well and strong together. . . . I’m going to really miss them a lot.”

Hosley couldn’t be more proud of her team and the way they played this season.

“I’m so proud of these girls: They’re the survivors. . . . We started with 18, and we’re ending with 12,” Hosley said. “They have been so committed, and I think more so this year than any other year, they really come together . . . and they all get along.”

Hosley went on to explain how much joy she gets from coaching this team: “It’s just been nice to be a part of this every single day . . . to come and be with these girls, playing a sport that they love.” Despite the Lady Trojans’ loss in their home finale, their 12-15 overall record was enough to earn a spot in the California Community College Athletic Association Northern California regional playoffs. They will play on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. in an away game against San Jose City College.