In their final game of the season, the JVA girls basketball team beat the Bastrop Bears in overtime by a final score of 48-47. With nine seconds left on the clock, a Bastrop player scored a free throw, to tie the game at 45 and force overtime.

The Knights pulled ahead by three points in overtime after a free throw from sophomore Lujain Al Hallaq and a basket from junior Amara Raab. The Bears scored one more basket in the final minute of the game, but the Knights still led by one point, enough to earn the hard-fought victory.

The game was the last for senior Savannah Doerr, who said she feels both overjoyed that she won her last game and also disappointed that her time playing the sport has ended.

“It felt really surreal,” Doerr said. “It didn’t really feel like my last game until we went into overtime. I had so much energy and wanted to win so badly,” Doerr said. “Once the buzzer went off, and the game was over, I immediately wanted to cry because of how much literal blood, sweat and tears for the past four years I felt had paid off, and it all went by so fast.”

Raab explained that after halftime the team switched up its defense, which allowed the Knights to produce more and easier scoring opportunities.

“After halftime, we switched into a zone, and we had good communication, which led to steals and a couple of fast breaks,” Raab said. “This mattered because it was such a close game starting after halftime. Once we got in our rhythm, we swung the ball, which led to some open looks.”

The crowd was full of both McCallum fans who were there to cheer on their friends and family but also fans who traveled from Bastrop to cheer for the Bears. This duality led to a very intense atmosphere for the players, but Al Hallaq explained that the team was determined to keep its focus on the game.

“We were just worrying about what we could control and not any outside factors,” Al Hallaq said. “There was a lot of pressure on the court. We were trying to focus on teamwork. We knew we could control our defense, and we made sure to communicate well the whole time we were on the court. We tried to box out and do the little things, which helped us to take home this final win.”

Raab scored the final basket of the game, and explained that in the moment, her head was clear and focused.

“My mind was kind of blank,” Raab said. “I was just trying to focus on winning but making sure we didn’t turn the ball over anymore than we already had. Then I realized I had a mismatch and posted up and scored.”

Doerr believes that over the course of the season, the team has grown and bonded together and is now closer than ever before.

“Our team was kind of divided at the beginning of the season I feel because we had a couple people come from volleyball, and we didn’t know each other too well,” Doerr said. “But after all the hours we put in together, we really grew to be a little family, balancing out one another’s personalities.”

Al Hallaq also believes that the team has grown into a family throughout the season, and hopes that the team can grow as players and as a team next year

“A highlight of the season for me was our bus rides together as a team when we travel to faraway tournaments,” she said. “They’re always really fun, and we’ve built such a tight-knit community. I hope to keep improving for next season as a player, so we can have a powerful team next year.”