The Altoona Lady Lions will take on the Bishop Guilfoyle marauders on Feb. 6 in the field house. The rivalry continues between the two schools, coaches, players and even the fans.  

The rivalry between BG and Altoona has been going on for years.  Each team competes to see who is the best in town.  

“The rich history of the rivalry fuels the intensity of this game.  Fans from both sides would crowd the Jaffa Mosque and the names involved in those games would be remembered in the city’s rich basketball past.  In the 1970’s and 1980’s the rivalry was so intense that it was mutually agreed upon to put it on hiatus for several years,”  Assistant Coach Amy Palfey said.  “Thankfully, times have changed, and the game, on both the boys’ and girls’ side, has been back on each other’s schedules for the past three decades.”

So far into the season the Lady Lions have been successful.  Their record is 7-4 and they are third in their conference.  

“We have a winning record and have played very well against top teams in the state,” starting point guard Taylor Lane said. “We have been doing especially well on defense this season.” 

This game has more importance than any other regular game.

“Our teams here at Altoona will benefit from remembering the past tradition of this game and by them understanding the importance of what was founded before them.  They are adding their individual influence to this rich history and can really leave a mark for the future Mountain Lions and Lady Lions to come,” Palfey said.  

The Lady Lions will need to transfer over what they do at practice into the game.  The team works a lot on defense to adjust to players on the other team and running their offenses.  

“We need to execute on defense and finish around the rim,” Lane said.