The Quantico Middle/High School Lady Warriors Basketball Team went head-to-head in a close game against the Foxcroft School Eagles of Middleburg, Va.,  in Quantico on Jan 31, 2014.

Pitted against one of the toughest teams in the league, the Lady Warriors gave the Eagles a run for their money. Neither team backed down nor wanted to give an inch and, with pride on the line, it was a nail biter the entire game. In the end, the Eagles clawed their way to victory 48 – 42.

The Lady Warriors started the game aggressively on offense. They stole the ball, attacked the boards, drew fouls and made many of their shots at the line. Eventually, the Eagles begun to understand the Lady Warriors’ strategy and put their own plans into action but not before the Lady Warriors took a four-point lead.

There was no lack of hustle or effort on either teams’ part in the first half. In fact, players for both teams literally dove for loose balls left and right, fighting for possession. At one point, there seemed to be more players on the floor than standing.

The Eagles developed their jump and long range shot capabilities late in the second quarter and used it to gain an eight-point lead going into the half. At halftime, the Lady Warriors trailed 28 – 20.

“We beat the press a couple of times but there were many times that we didn’t,” said Paul Roy, head coach, Lady Warriors, to his team during halftime. “We need to get open and break toward the ball. Keep in mind, this is a tough team and we are really hustling and doing well out there.”

As the Lady Warriors came on the court for the second half, the school faculty, parents, family members and friends blew the roof off of the auditorium with their “Go Lady Warriors” chants and cheers. This must have motivated the Lady Warriors, because they grabbed rebounds, turned steals into fast breaks and crashed the boards on back-to-back plays.

It was not hard to see the frustration on the faces of the Eagles. Those frustrations proved hazardous and began to negatively affect their ability to make smart passes and easy layups. Before the Eagles knew it, the Lady Warriors were only down by one.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles managed to get out of their offensive downward spiral and penetrated the Lady Warriors’ defense. The Eagles quickly gained some ground and went on a 6 – 0 run. With only two minutes left, the Eagles game plan was to hold on to the ball and run out the clock. The Lady Warriors desperately needed to gain eight points to tie the game. Unfortunately for the Lady Warriors, they could not make up the deficit in time and lost 48 – 42.

“Both teams hustled and were really scrappy out there today,” said Patrick Finn, head coach, Eagles, after the game. “I honestly had no clue how the outcome of the game was going to go for a while. The lead at the half helped us going into the third quarter. Also, what really gave us a break was one of Quantico’s starters fouling out in the second half.”