HARTFORD, Connecticut (NBC) -- A girl's basketball team in Connecticut may not be the state champs, but they were able to do something the team hasn't done in almost 19 years, win a game.
In their third game of the season this year they ended an amazing 265-game losing streak that spanned nearly 19 years. In fact, the last time the team won a game, none of its current players were even born.
"We never really talked too much about the streak here much, but we had lost 265 games in a row and we all knew it in the back of our minds,” said Coach Mark Euclitto.
"It was pretty annoying, no one wants to come see our games and we're not taken seriously at all,” said senior Alyssa Paniati.
Wolcott Tech's losing streak did weigh on its seniors, and it had some of them seriously considering not playing this year.
“Those games where we get beat by like 50, 60 points, they're just draining. You're like 'wow, why do I even bother?’” said senior Samantha Dziedzic.
"These girls have been playing all four years,” said Eucalitto. “Jobs, stress of home life, many of them thought of not playing this year. But, with a little bit of arm twisting from my part and the parents, they decided to come back out and play and without them we wouldn't accomplish our goals."
And it was a good thing they did, because when Wolcott Tech in Torrington laced up for their third game of the season, they did something that 18 previous Wildcat teams couldn't, come away with a victory.
"Oh, we were so excited,” said Dziedzic. “We ran into the middle of the court, we were jumping up and down all excited. Some people started crying and we just all hugged each other. Yeah, it was good."
"We went into the game knowing we had a shot,” said Paniati. “Coach said we're not going out of here unless we win. We played our hardest game ever out there. It was an amazing feeling."
And it’s this confidence that was built up inside of them by their coach that they say made all the difference.
"He believed in us more than we did,” Dziedzic said.
"I told them this was their year,” Eucalitto said. “They stuck with it this long and this year we were going to win a game and that was our goal and we finally accomplished it. They're not depressed about their lack of accomplishments. They just enjoy playing the game for what it is, it’s just a game."
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ShaneMy time of year!