The WRA Girls Varsity Basketball team opened its weekend at the Classic in the City with a challenging matchup against the #3-ranked team in OHSAA Division I, the Olentangy Braves, at Pickerington Central High School.

The opening quarter featured plenty of back-and-forth action, with Olentangy holding a slim 18–11 lead after one. The Braves extended that advantage early in the second quarter, pushing ahead 27–16. WRA responded with consecutive three-pointers from Avery Childress '29 and Maliyah Lofton '26 to cut the deficit to 27–22. After Olentangy briefly stretched the lead again, the Pioneers surged late in the half, trimming the margin to 32–30 before a final Braves bucket sent WRA into halftime trailing 35–30.

Olentangy came out strong in the second half, building its lead to as many as 15 points as WRA worked to chip away. An 8–0 run by the Braves heading into the fourth quarter created separation, and while the Pioneers continued to battle, increased defensive pressure led to frequent trips to the free-throw line for Olentangy. The Braves closed out the contest with a 76–57 victory.

Maliyah Lofton '26 led the Pioneers with a team-high 14 points, while Tara Nachbar '28 delivered a strong all-around performance with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Avery Childress '29 added 10 points, and newcomer Eva Barron '27 chipped in 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Nina Bilic '28 contributed across the stat sheet with 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.

WRA will look to bounce back on Sunday, January 18, when the Pioneers take on Canadian powerhouse Niagara Prep at 4:30 PM to wrap up play at the Classic in the City. Go Pioneers!