Sterling, Va. — Last year the Potomac Falls High School girls basketball team defeated Riverside to claim the Potomac District title. The Panthers then followed that up with a victory over Lightridge in the VHSL Region 5D championship before eventually falling in the first round of the Class 5 State tournament. Despite losing first team all-state guard Brynn Hunter, the Panthers still have high hopes for this season.
To complete their first cycle against Potomac District opponents in their 2025-2026 campaign, Potomac Falls hosted Riverside. The Panthers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, earning a 44-34 victory on January 13 in Sterling.
“It feels good. We’re happy to end a district game on a high note, but we would like to be undefeated,” Potomac Falls junior forward Ella Rossiter said. “But we’re happy with the win.”
Although Riverside junior forward Kadence Loucks (7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals) kicked off the scoring with a bucket from senior guard Maia Brown (10 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal), Potomac Falls took over after that. Senior forward Amanda Gobeille (7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 steal) scored from both inside and outside the arc, while senior guard Emily Powell (3 points, 3 rebounds) banked in a 3-pointer and sophomore guard Tatiana Doane (10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 6 steals) snagged a steal and converted on a layup to put the Panthers up 10-2 early.
“In the locker room, we talked about getting off to a good start because we haven’t in the last couple of games,” Potomac Falls head coach Lynn Ewald said. “I think three out of our last four, we were down 5-6 points, and one game we were down 9 and had to fight and claw back. And you never want to do that, because it’s just so much harder to do. So getting off to a good start was a point of emphasis.”
Despite forcing eight Riverside turnovers in the first quarter, the Panthers came up empty on their next couple trips up the court. The Rams were persistent on the boards as sophomore forward Nyomi Perkins (1 point, 7 rebounds, 1 block) contributed four of her game-high seven rebounds in the first quarter.
Riverside senior guard Olivia Carlone (11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) cut the deficit to three after a pair of baskets and a free throw from freshman forward Sienna Taylor (1 point, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3 steals).
To start the second quarter, Gobeille found senior forward Sadie O’Grady (5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals) for a 3-pointer, but each time the Panthers scored, the Rams had an answer. Carlone and Brown each scored five points in the quarter to match O’Grady, while Doane contributed a consistent three points through each of the first three quarters.
“Our team has a lot of people that are able to drive really strong, so we like to use that as an advantage,” Rossiter said. “Going in strong helps us rack up points quicker.”
Riverside freshman forward Janiyah Jackson (2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 1 steal) was big on the glass, collecting four rebounds in the second quarter. A couple free throws apiece from Loucks and Brown brought the game to 23-19 in favor of the Panthers heading into the locker room.
Despite a low-scoring third quarter, second-chance opportunities seemed to be the focus, as Potomac Falls forced eleven Riverside turnovers—aided by four steals from Doane—and grabbed four offensive rebounds.
“The more possessions you have, the more chances you get to score. We don’t shoot a tremendously high percentage, so we know we need extra possessions—whether we get them from steals, deflections, offensive rebounds—and we found a way to manage to do that,” Ewald said. “The games we’ve struggled in, we don’t get the turnovers or the offensive rebounds. So, it’s one of those things that we know we need to do to be successful, and it’s getting those extra possessions.”
Rossiter (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 steals) found her way to the basket for two and also collected some boards, recording three of her game-high seven rebounds in the third quarter.
“It’s a big thing to get second chances because, although our shooting hasn’t been working in our favor, the second opportunities really help us,” Rossiter said.
The teams headed into the final frame with the Panthers up 29-24 following a couple made free throws from Rossiter and Doane.
“I think one thing that helped us pull away at the end was that we had a little momentum in the third quarter. We got them into the bonus, so with the aggressive D that they play and the way that the game was being called, we got a couple of hard drives to the basket where our girls got to the hoop and got the shots. And unlike in the first half, we were making some free throws, which gave us a little bit of confidence going into that,” Ewald said. “In the second half, we had a couple good drives, and we got a couple steals that got us an easy basket. When you make a breakaway layup, you’re ready to go, you’re playing better defense, you’re doing those things with a little more pep in your step. You could see that kind of transition, and you’ve got a good veteran group that is experienced in big games. Having played last year, it really helps us in these close games.”
Rossiter then widened the gap to 36-26 after making a layup and a couple free throws following a few Riverside turnovers and converting on an and-one opportunity, contributing nine of her game-high fourteen points in the fourth quarter.
“We always just try to turn our defense into offense. Once a team gets set, it’s a lot harder to score against them at any level,” Ewald said. “So getting the odd man breaks, getting the extra opportunities, not only does it get you those easier shots, it also opens up lanes for offensive rebounds and girls coming in late, so that’s what we try to do.”
Down the stretch the Panthers relied on their free throw shooting to maintain their cushion, as junior guard McKinley Gough (5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals) went 5-for-6 and the team went 9-for-11 in the fourth quarter, widening the gap to as many as twelve.
“I think we did a good job of making free throws at the end. At one point we were 3-for-14, and we finished 14-for-28, so we finished the game 11-for-14,” Ewald said. “Unlike last week when we played Stone Bridge and went 2-for-8 in the last minute, and that game went right down to the buzzer. Today, we were able to open the deficit, rather than stay at 5-6, it opened up to 10-11, which gives a little more room to breathe.”
Despite a late Rams push where Carlone sank a bucket, the deficit was too much to overcome as the Panthers claimed the 44-34 victory to remain in second place in the Potomac District.
“We’re hoping to have a repeat of last year and work better as a team,” Rossiter said. “A lot of these closer games we’re hoping to pull out with a more decisive win like we did tonight.”
Potomac Falls (5-1, 12-2) will finish the week with a break from district play when they travel to Rock Ridge on January 15. Riverside (1-4, 6-6) will complete their first cycle of games against district opponents on the road against Lightridge on January 16.
“Towards the end we opened it up a little bit more, but this was a close game the whole way through. Our last game was two points, the game before that was three points, so we’ve been in a few nail-biters,” Ewald said. “Having success here helps in getting that experience and playing up to our abilities because you don’t want to get caught sleeping. Our district is so competitive. There’s so many close games, so many good teams that if you let one game slip away in early- or mid-January, come February, now you’re playing on the road, you’re playing a different seed, you’re in a whole different spot. Every game has that impact, so you really want to make sure that you’re maintaining that consistency and that you keep that momentum going.”
Potomac Falls Stats
| Player Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
| Ella Rossiter | 14 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6-for-12 |
| Tatiana Doane | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3-for-6 |
| Amanda Gobeille | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0-for-4 |
| Sadie O’Grady | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0-for-0 |
| McKinley Gough | 5 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5-for-6 |
| Emily Powell | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Mackenzie Balsley | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Total | 44 | 29 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 14-for-28 |
Riverside Stats
| Player Name | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FT |
| Olivia Carlone | 11 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Maia Brown | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4-for-6 |
| Kadence Loucks | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3-for-3 |
| Janiyah Jackson | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0-for-0 |
| Maddie Brown | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Nyomi Perkins | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-for-2 |
| Sienna Taylor | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1-for-2 |
| Olivia Loucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Total | 34 | 29 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 9-for-13 |