The Irish varsity basketball teams compete with Collins in two suspenseful games
There was no shortage of excitement and suspense at St. Patrick Catholic High School on the night of Wednesday, January 12. The varsity girls and boys basketball teams both competed against the Collins Tigers in two heart-pounding games. In the end the girls’ game ended with a score of forty-four to forty-five in the favor of Collins. The ending score for the varsity boys’ game was seventy-seven to seventy-four with a victory for the Tigers.
The beginning of the girls’ game started out well with junior Olivia Allen making the first basket of the game. Another junior, Anna Clare Colson made a great basket in the first quarter with three minutes left. Morgan McCrea also produced a very impressive performance with multiple baskets. At the end of the first, the Lady Tigers were ahead with the score standing at nine to seventeen. In the second quarter, the Irish pull ahead and procure the score of thirty to twenty-four.
At the end of the third, the game was starting to pick up with the difference of the teams’ scores lessening, the score being forty-one to thirty-six, the Irish ahead. With twenty-eight seconds left in the game, the Irish were ahead by one point; the score was forty-four to forty-three. The crowd was going crazy at this point, cheering and nervously watching. The time runs out and the buzzer goes off, ending the game. Then a foul is called so the referees reset the clock to one second. Collins is allowed two free throws, they make both and the time runs out again. The suspenseful game ended with a victory for Collins, the score finishing as forty-four to forty-five.
After the girls game, Coach Jeffries was recognized, this being her last game as girls basketball coach at St. Patrick. Morgan McCrea said a few words thanking her and stating that she’s the coach they’ve had the longest and that the whole team really appreciates her. The team also presented coach Jeffries with a gift and an emotional embrace.
The boys’ game started fast with both teams competing hard from the beginning. The Collins Tigers were in the lead at the end of the first quarter with a score of thirteen to twenty-one. There were many great performances including some great baskets from Tucker Santiago and Jack Magandy. At the end of the second, the score was thirty-seven to forty-four with Collins in the lead; at the end of the third it was forty-six to sixty-three. The score kept going up and down but in the end with two minutes left it was tied, but in the last fifty seconds Collins pulled ahead with a score of seventy-seven whereas the Irish had seventy-four.
The games were both suspenseful and hard fought. They definitely exhibited the amazing skill and drive of the Fighting Irish! Come support the varsity boys and girls basketball teams at their next game!
Story by Skye Ward