Ramstein senior Feliciana Davis launches a shot over Kaiserslautern's Olivia Ilkka during a game on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The Ramstein girls basketball team doesn’t need to say anything for others to notice just how motivated it is by last year’s disappointing end, which saw the club miss out on a Top 4 finish.

The Royals’ play on the court is doing all the talking for them.

Take Tuesday evening’s 48-8 victory over crosstown rival Kaiserslautern at Kaiserslautern High School for example. Ramstein never trailed and invoked the mercy rule with 4 minutes, 46 seconds left in the game.

It marked the third straight game in which the Royals (3-0, 3-0) have held their opponents to single digits.

“These girls have been working since March with the same goal,” said coach Christina Hewitt, whose Royals have 10 returners on the roster. “We’re starting to see some of the progress that they’ve made.

“We still have a long way to go, but they come in each and every day working hard and just excited to be out there. It’s been fun so far.”

Fun could describe how the Royals handled the Raiders (2-1, 0-1) on Tuesday.

Ramstein suffocated Kaiserslautern defensively, forcing 34 turnovers by the hosts – including 16 that ended up as Ramstein steals. The pressure was relentless, with a full-court trap on for much of the first three quarters.

The visitors used that defense to spark the offense. The Royals recorded steals and turned them into points on the other end on back-to-back possessions twice in the game.

The first came between the 3:53 to 3:30 marks in the second quarter. First, senior guard Sanai Schneider nabbed the ball and passed to senior Feliciana Davis for a layup. Then, senior forward McKenzie McLaurin repeated the feat by setting up Aaryanna Guishard to make it 20-5.

In the third quarter, senior Breanna Olivas and sophomore Dani Johnson thefts led to two more layups for Davis from between 5:21 and 4:50, giving the Royals a 19-point advantage.

“We’re really fast paced, we’re running down the court and we’re hustling for every ball,” Davis said.

Kaiserslautern's Hassa Diallo tries to find a pass while under pressure from Ramstein's Breanna Olivas, left, and Feliciana Davis during a game on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein senior Sanai Schneider goes up for a layup as Kaiserslautern's Leilany Ware chases during a game on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Kaiserslautern’s LaMya Fleeton dribbles around Ramstein’s Breanna Olivas during a game on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein senior Ella Field passes the ball as Kaiserslautern's Leilany Ware defends during a game on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ramstein senior McKenzie McLaurin shoots from the free-throw line during a game against Kaiserslautern on Dec. 9, 2025, at Kaiserslautern High School in Kaiserslautern, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Davis may have paced the Royals with 21 points, but Hewitt said it still was a total team effort – something she and the coaching staff have emphasized as a key to success this season.

Eight Ramstein players made the scorebook, and all 12 players also got onto the court prior to the mercy rule being implemented, giving them some valuable experience.

“It’s got to be all of us that do it,” Hewitt said. “So, whether you’re on the bench or in the game, we need to come together and collectively win games. We can’t just let one person handle it.”

It was an evening to forget for the Raiders, although coach Aaron Scalise said they will try to take the positives ahead of a weekend trip to Lakenheath.

Olivia Ilkka had five points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Kaiserslautern

“We’re going to put this game in the past,” Scalise said. “This is not typical basketball that we play here. We’re going to concentrate on the positive things we were able to do and try to build upon those things.”

Ramstein, meanwhile, has a pair of games against Vilseck, last campaign’s runner-up. The Falcons are coming off a pair of wins of Lakenheath last weekend.

The Royals are flying high into the matchup, but they also understand it’s early in the season.

“It gives us a lot of confidence, but at the same time, we don’t want to stick on these wins,” Davis said. “Just keep up the energy and motivation.”