The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School women’s varsity basketball team hosted a game against the Olympic Heights Community High School Lions on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The team started off with a short warm up to get ready to compete against the Lions.
The Lions started off strong in the first quarter, putting them in the lead with 2-0. But the Eagles fought back and tied the score at 2-2.
As time passed, the Eagles and Lions were going back and forth keeping the scores close, causing the score to even out at 9-9 with the first quarter slowly coming to an end. With just seconds remaining, the Lions scored a free throw, ending the first quarter with a score of 10-9.
“They definitely had a lot of shooters so we just had to keep a tight defense and not give them any space,” point guard Gabriella Pino (0) said. “I think next time we’ll keep working on it to get better for our next game.”
At the start of the second quarter, the Eagles worked hard to catch up, but the Lions took the lead and started to pull away from the game. After a few fouls, the Lions scored multiple shots, bumping up their score to 18-9. The Eagles started to show their spirit by scoring two three-pointers and a free throw, boosting their score to 18-16 at the end of the second quarter.
During the third quarter, the Lions started off strong. Scoring in just the first 30 seconds of the period, making the score 16-21, the Lions scored another two times, as well as getting a point from free throws before MSD scored, making it 19-24. As the quarter progressed, the lions made a foul. The Eagles and the Lions continuously fight for points, ending this quarter with a score of 29-22.
“I think I played good and I was patient, I mainly just focused on playing my own game,” point guard Ever Benjamin (25) said. “But we definitely could have worked on being more patient.”
Throughout the fourth quarter, the Lions yet again score within nearly 20 seconds of the final quarter. As the Eagles attempt to make a comeback, the Lions score an additional two times before MSD can score, making it 37-25. With less than three minutes left of the last quarter, the Eagles score a three-pointer as the Lions keep working their way up still taking the lead with a score of 41-28.
With just seconds left, the Lions perform a buzzer beater, ending the game with a score of 44-28.
“We are a young team with a lot of individual talent, and we are in the process of finding the right chemistry,” Head Coach Amy Carr said. “And although we came up short this game, we were very evenly matched. With time, I anticipate much progress.”
The MSD women’s varsity team is hoping to overcome the loss and bounce back in their next home game against Monarch High School on Monday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m.
