The Mavericks donned their white and red jerseys with pride as they played a long and hard-fought semifinal game on Wednesday, February 15th against Landmark School. Although the Mavericks lost 30-35, their determination and sportsmanship shined through in each of their plays. Each Maverick played with unrelenting strength and persistence.

In the beginning of the game, the Mavericks were leading by 8 points. Devyn Gianino ‘20 shot a jaw-dropping ball from the 3 point line on a rebound. After her impressive throw, Landmark reiterated with a skillful shot, also from the 3-point line. After a lot of back-and-forth points, Montrose and Landmark were tied 10-10. As the end first half drew near, fans were on the edges of their seats as the score dramatically changed to 16-17. The score soon reached 23-32 as Landmark’s athletes kept free throwing. Devyn, Sarah McAuliffe ‘17, and Maria Lennon ‘20 scored to get Montrose up 7 points. However, even as the Mavericks continued to play fiercely, Landmark scored many 2 pointers. Kelsey Lopez ‘18, while watching the game, said, “This game is so intense. Each of the athletes is playing so well, and the score keeps fluctuating. The suspense is killing me.”

By the end of the game, the Mavericks transformed the game. With 1:36 left in the clock, Alexa Lombardo ‘17 scored an outstanding 3 pointer. Shortly after, Maria scored another excellent 3 pointer. With these shots and one minute left in the game, the score turned to 29-32. Loud cheers from fans on both teams filled the A&A as the suspense grew. With 28 seconds remaining, Sophie Kocho ‘20 scored, making the score 30-32. Nearly falling off their chairs, fans continued to scream. Excitement and anxiety could not be more present. As the athletes on both teams played to their last breath, Landmark managed to score 3 points as the clock ticked to zero. As the clock buzzed and the Landmark team and families cheered, the Mavericks immediately congratulated their opponent. The Mavericks proved to be an exceptionally competitive and honorable team throughout their entire season. Although they will not be playing in the championship game, the Mavericks ended their season with so much perseverance.

Congratulations, Mavericks, on all your successes throughout the 2016-2017 Varsity Basketball season!