Holy Names steals split-second, single-point win over Spartans

Published 10:54 am Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Call the police!

The Spartans have been robbed.

During Wednesday night’s game against the visitors from Holy Names Academy, the Bainbridge High varsity girls basketball team found themselves going quickly from being ahead a full 10 points (33-23) at the start of the final quarter, to being ahead by only four points with less than a minute to go — and to finish with finding their hoop dreams stolen.

The game’s final score was 45-44.

It was a shocking and dispiriting outcome for the island team.

The guests led, admittedly, at first — 5-4 with about five minutes left in the first quarter. But Bainbridge wasn’t having it, and regained the lead 17-13 by the start of the second.

The Spartans pulled further ahead then, leading 20-15 by the end of the half.

The third saw Holy Names start on the comeback trail, but Bainbridge managed to stay ahead to lead going into the final minutes.

Then the fourth quarter happened, and it’s hard to say exactly where it started to go wrong.

Bainbridge continued to roll and was up 40-29 at the five-minute mark, but it was not to last.

Holy Names got on a streak, the Spartans’ focus seemed sporadic and the guests were poised pretty well with about a minute to go (trimming the Spartans’ advantage to 44-40).

A quick score later, and the Cougars were down by just two points with about 20 seconds to go.

Holy Names then managed to snag the lead with a big three-pointer with less than 10 seconds left, and to hold it long enough to secure the win — clutching a jaw-dropping win from the mouth of what had seemed an almost certain defeat.

The Spartans were visibly disappointed, and BHS Head Coach Nicole Hebner declined to comment on the loss.

Assistant Coach Liz McCloskey, however, said that the whole team was looking forward to “a fresh start” in the next game after such a “frustrating loss.”

The loss — their third in a row — left the Spartans with a 1-4 overall season record and the sixth spot in the Metro Mountain Division standings.

Serial Spartan standout Taylor Tye led the team offensively, finishing Wednesday’s game with 14 points.

Katie Usellis managed 10 points as well.

Kiera Havill contributed eight.

The island squad will travel to play Seattle Prep Friday, Dec. 18.

The Spartans will return home to host Cleveland High Friday, Jan. 8, after two more road games in between.