NATCHEZ — When Abby Givens found out that Mike Ray had died, she and the rest of the team decided that nothing good would come from not playing.

The junior guard for the Adams County Christian School girls basketball team was devastated by the news that the husband of assistant coach Dee Ray lost his battle to melanoma. For Givens, the news hit especially hard, since the Rays’ daughter, sophomore guard Maggie Ray, is her best friend.

It was last Thursday night, and the Lady Rebels were about to face Amite School Center. Given the option to not play, the ACCS player wouldn’t entertain the though.

“It wasn’t going to help at all not to play,” Givens said. “We would just end up keeping our minds on it, and it gave us a reason to do that much better. It was a motivating factor.”

The Lady Rebels are currently 13-0 on this young season. As if avoiding that first loss weren’t reason enough, Givens said the team now has something more for which to play.

“I think the majority of our motivation is wanting to win for (the Ray family),” Givens said. “We can’t really help them with words, but by playing for them, it makes us feel like we’re lifting them up in a way that words can’t.”

Givens had a particularly strong night Thursday, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds — her first career double-double — in the Lady Rebels’ 59-20 win against ASC. She said the desire to play for the Ray family stayed with her the entire game.

“There was something else there that was keeping us going, because we sure weren’t ready to play that night,” Givens recalled. “We were so devastated.”

ACCS girls coach Melanie Hall said she was proud of the way her team fought through the heartbreaking news and fought for a member of their Lady Rebel family.

“They went out there and gave everything they had,” Hall said. “When you have that kind of drive, it’s special. I’m just glad the Good Lord allows me to have a little part in all of it.”

Even before the news about Mike Ray hit, the Lady Rebels seemed like a team riding a wave of momentum, being undefeated early. Hall said her players are able to complement each other well on the court, which gives them good chemistry.

“They’re all so unselfish,” Hall said. “They’re always patting each other on the back. If they all do the things they do well and not try to do too much, they’ll really do well. So far, they’ve all managed to play within themselves and within the team.”

The fact that everyone gets along really well also helps, Givens said.

“Our team is so together. We all get along better than any other team I’ve been a part of,” Givens said.

“There’s no conflict or arguing. We’re all pretty close, because we’ve all grown up together and been on AYA teams together, so it’s not like a bunch of new people thrown in there.”

Givens also said the girls are able to draw motivation from the fact that they haven’t lost a game yet.

“It gives us motivation not to get that (first loss),” Givens said. “We want an undefeated season.”

Even with the early-season success, Hall said there’s still plenty for her team to improve upon.

“We just have to sharpen our fundamentals,” Hall said. “If we can sharpen those little things, the big things will take care of themselves.”

Specifically, Hall said man-to-man defense, rebounding, shooting mechanics and creating scoring opportunities are all things her girls can show improvement in.

But Hall said her players’ skill sets and willingness to play together have given the Lady Rebels a good foundation.

“When you use the talents and abilities God gives you to the best of your abilities, good things will happen,” Hall said.

Always one to thank God for every day she coaches basketball, Hall said her players have also bought in to the idea of glorifying God with everything they do.

“When we’re in the locker room, we’re usually preparing for the opponents, but most of the time our meetings begin with something about the Lord,” Hall said.

“They know they’re His team. They’ll tell you very quickly, win or lose, to God be the glory. Every game is a gift. We’re not promised the next game, so it’s all about what you do today. These girls are on a mission.”

And that mission, to honor God, the Ray family and each other, has been flawless to date in the win-loss column.