By Jenny Tran
Last Thursday, the girls’ basketball team went against the Los Alamitos Griffins in an incredibly fast-paced and nerve-wracking game where two overtimes were called. The Barons just managed to grab hold of the win in a final score of 69-66.
Senior Audrey Tengan led the Barons with 22 points. Following her were seniors Margaret Tengan and Hannah Walsh who both gained 17 points each.
The first quarter started with the tip going to Los Alamitos. After a series of close shots on both sides, Los Alamitos made the first shot of the night with a two-pointer at six minutes and 37 seconds. The game was fast and aggressive right off the bat as the ball rapidly shifted between both teams.
The first shot for the Barons came from Walsh who made a two-pointer, evening the score at 2-2.
Los Alamitos eventually called a time-out with four minutes and 39 seconds left. A few moments after, Margaret Tengan slid in a three-pointer. Los Alamitos managed to steal the ball afterward and score a layup. The Barons struggled to take back the offense as the Griffins made two more two-pointers, pushing them to the lead with a score of 5-8.
After a series of shots and strong displays of defense from both sides, the score was brought to 8-13. With 31 seconds left, Margaret Tengan was given two free throws which she successfully made.
The first quarter ended 10-13 in favor of Los Alamitos.
Senior Sariah Loftis opened the second quarter with a two-pointer. Los Alamitos quickly followed with a three-pointer a few seconds later.
With six minutes and 37 seconds left, Audrey Tengan gained a foul and managed to successfully make two free throws. Both teams then made successful two-pointers; Walsh made two for the Barons.
Walsh then made a free throw at four minutes and 39 seconds, putting the score at 19-20. The rest of the quarter was defined by rebounds and two-pointers, with Margaret Tengan making two for the Barons. Henry also made three collective free throws on two separate fouls from the Griffins.
Los Alamitos scored a two-pointer as the timer buzzed, indicating the end of the second quarter. The score going into halftime stood at 26-30 in favor of Los Alamitos.
The score remained unchanged for the first minute of the third quarter. Rather, it was packed with anxiously close shots. At six minutes and 53 seconds, a foul was called on the Barons leading them to call a time-out. Los Alamitos made the first shots of the third quarter with two free throws. Seconds later, another foul was called, this time on Los Alamitos. Henry successfully made two free throws from the foul.
The game’s pace only quickened this quarter with each team scoring moments after the other. After Walsh scored two two-pointers, Los Alamitos made a three-pointer and two layups in a row. Audrey Tengan then made a two-pointer with an assist from sophomore Audrey Chow.
By the time the Barons called a time-out at two minutes and 36 seconds, Los Alamitos had a substantial lead at 34-45. Audrey Tengan, Margaret Tengan and Henry continued to score for the Barons for the rest of the quarter. Los Alamitos’s defense, however, made it challenging for the Barons to finish many of their shots. A time-out was later called for Los Alamitos with 43 seconds left.
The third quarter ended 44-48.
The final quarter opened with Walsh making a two-pointer after numerous close shots from the Barons. The score continued to remain immensely close, with the back-and-forth momentum being noticeably amplified this quarter.
Walsh and Audrey Tengan contributed points to the Barons for the first half of the quarter. The scoreboard stood at 53-54 when Los Alamitos called a time-out. Right after, Los Alamitos made another three-pointer and Audrey Tengan made a layup with an assist from Margaret Tengan. A time-out was then called by the Barons.
After a period of unsuccessful shots from the Barons, Henry finally made a two-pointer, evening the score at 57-57. Another time-out was called on Los Alamitos with 59 seconds left. With tensions high and the pressure swelling, Henry shot up the ball—it momentarily balanced on the rim before sliding into a two-pointer. The Barons were pushed into the lead with 59-57.
Though, with five seconds remaining, the Griffins threw in a two-pointer, tying the game 59-59. A four-minute overtime had to be called.
Overtime began with a tip-off to Los Alamitos. The first successful shot was made at two minutes and 45 seconds with a two-pointer from Los Alamitos. A foul was then called, in which Audrey Tengan leveled out the score once again with two free throws.
Both teams then managed to make two-pointers; the score was still even at 63-63 with 28 seconds left. A time-out was called with seven seconds left, both teams hurriedly discussing how they can utilize the last few moments to grab hold of a win.
The Barons were in possession of the ball when the timer began. In a rush, both Audrey Tengan and Walsh attempted to make a shot—but ultimately neither could make one.
The first overtime finished at 63-63.
While the second overtime opened with a tip-off to the Barons, the Griffins managed to grab a hold of the ball. After many brisk passes, a foul was called on Los Alamitos with two minutes and 13 seconds remaining. Shooting in a free throw, Audrey Tengan managed to just push the Barons in the lead.
Four seconds later, Margaret Tengan followed with a successful fast break, adding in two more points for the team. The Griffins then scored a three-pointer and immediately called a time-out at one minute and 33 seconds. The score was, yet again, still equal at 66-66.
As the clock ticked down, Margaret Tengan made a three-pointer at one minute and eight seconds, pulling the Barons ahead. After thirty seconds of both teams rushing to score, a time-out was called for the Griffins with 25 seconds left.
The final few seconds was a tremendous test to the Barons’ defense. With the ball being in the Griffins’ possession, they just had to keep them from scoring a three-pointer to break out with a win.
As the seconds fell, the Griffins hastily passed the ball to one another as the Barons tried to hinder them by making rigorous blocks. Los Alamitos threw the ball toward the basket with a few seconds remaining—but it missed.
The game ended at 69-66, and cheers erupted from the Barons as they clambered out with a close win.
“Honestly, I’m really proud of our team and I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Loftis said. “If we didn’t stay composed and stay together as a team, I don’t think we would have come out with this amazing win.”
The girls’ next game will be a home game against Corona Del Mar in Fountain Valley High School’s gymnasium on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.
