The GHS Girls Basketball team, which had a spectacular season record of 11 wins and saw Junior Lizzie Olson earn her 1000th point, ended in defeat on Thursday, March 5 in Harrisburg. The team had bested Dell Rapids in the first play-off game of the semi-final tournament, and matched up against Tri-Valley in the second game.
Garretson and the Mustangs had faced off in the first game of the season, with Tri-Valley taking the win with a score of 61 to Garretson’s 33 in the December game. However, the Blue Dragons knew they could take the Mustangs on again and come out victorious if they played well.
The Blue Dragons started off strong, grabbing onto and holding the lead throughout the first quarter, but Tri-Valley was able to close the gap and keep the game neck-and-neck throughout the second quarter. The Dragons started losing ground after halftime, as Tri-Valley racked up points and the Blue Dragon’s balls kept bouncing off the rim.
The strong defense of the Lady Dragons kept the gap at less than ten points, and each time the Mustangs thought they were going to take the commanding lead, the Dragons pulled together and scored.
With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, a missed basket by #25 Lizzie Olson and a foul by #5 Rachel Kindt led to the Mustangs widening the gap to 51-42, a distance the Dragons attempted to overcome with a sideline 3-point successful shot by #12 Mya Long. They were able to sink a few more baskets, bringing their score up to 49 versus Tri-Valley’s 54 with thirty-three seconds left in the game. With a few lucky plays, it was hoped the Dragons could still snatch victory from the Mustangs. Unfortunately, a desperate 3-point basket attempted by #23 Lily Ranschau at 17 seconds remaining saw the ball bounce out of the hoop, and a foul was called, allowing the Mustangs to shoot from the 3-point line. With 12 seconds left in the game and the score standing at 49-56, the Dragons ran the ball across the court. Olson sank one more ball for 2 points and ended up at the 3-pt line after a foul.
Unfortunately, her successful 1-point basket wasn’t enough to close the gap, and the Dragons lost the game with a final score of 52-56. This ended the Blue Dragon’s season with a final overall record of 11-12. It was a hard-fought and well-played season, and the young team is likely to make an even better showing next season!
