The Cranston West girls basketball team made a statement in Division I last week when it beat visiting La Salle 48-39.

The Falcons shot lights out from start to finish to hold off the Rams. La Salle remained in striking distance until late in the fourth, but the West offense would continue to come up with clutch shots to keep them at bay and pick up the win.

Olivia Tedeschi-Moran led the way with 13 points, followed by Maia Riccio with 12. Ricco scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter. Kyla Buco shot 3-for-5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points overall.

West entered the season as an experienced group after a rebuilding 2022 winter. Now, West sits at 3-1 in the division and hopes that the La Salle win will give them some momentum entering the holiday break.

“It’s a huge win for us, we have never beaten La Salle. This is a huge win for us personally and confidence wise, we now know that our hard work paid off and we can play again anyone,” said Tedeschi-Moran, who is a captain along with Riccio.

“We haven’t beaten them in a long time. To get a win against them will be really motivating for the freshmen to come in and watch us get this one,” added Riccio, who is embracing her captainship in a year where the team has championship aspirations. “It’s awesome. I love being a role model to the freshmen, I remember looking up to and respecting the seniors when I was a freshman. I love being able to help the team and being put in this position and role.”

Last year’s down season helped the Falcons learn the importance of playing in sync with one another while also building chemistry on and off the court.

“I think that our past experience showed us that we have to play together as a team. When Kyla hits a shot, I feel like I just scored on the shot. We need to play together in unison,” said Tedeschi-Moran.

As West looks to continue to climb the standings in the state’s toughest division, the Falcons feel confident in their versatility and feel that their sharp shooting will be sustainable throughout the season.

“It’s an awesome advantage because not only can we drive, but we can kick and knock them down. We have that trust in each other,” said Tedeschi-Moran.

The Falcons took on Portsmouth the following game on the road and fell 61-49. Riccio led the way with 13 points.