The clock reads 30 seconds; sweat falls to the court as girls run across the gym, hoping to score the winning shot. Everyone is pacing around, anxious to see who will succeed. Just before the timer goes off, the basketball hits the backboard, slowly making its way down into the net. Time slows down and not a single person can take their eye off the court. Just as the buzzer rings throughout the room, the ball falls through the net and onto the court, resulting in a cheer from both teammates and family. 

The ILS girls’ varsity basketball team played iMatter Academy on Thursday, December 2nd for their third game. While the game lasted around an hour and a half, the girls made every second count and gave it their all, especially sophomore Caroline Barrabes. “Throughout the game, I scored around 13 points, which mostly included layups and free throws,” she said.

The game itself was divided into eight-minute quarters. Besides that, time was given for calls and halftime. Within these quarters, many of the players were able to score two-pointers, including 7 for Mary Sceuerle, 5 for Caroline Barrabes, and 1 for both Cary Scheuerle and Candy Cruz. In terms of three-pointers, senior Victoria Acosta succeeded with 1.

With these plays, the team rotated every so often between the players. This included seniors Victoria Acosta and Lorena Alvarez, juniors Mary and Cary Scheuerle, sophomores Caroline Barrabes and Natalia Davila, and freshmen Candy Cruz and Peilin Aguilar. 

The game may have seemed long and stressful, but it was full of memorable moments for all of the players.

“My favorite part of the game was at the end when, with less than a minute left and only up by one point, we were able to score another layup,” said senior Isabella Rodriguez. 

With that last layup, the team brought the win home with a total of 50-47. 

From this game, the girls are able to take away important lessons and now can look forward to future plays where they can continue to bond.