The Aragon girls varsity basketball team fell short to the Hillsdale Knights 37-32, in what played out to be an epic season-closing showdown between the cross-town rivals. And it only added to the anticipation that the game was played on the “unluckiest, most superstitious day of the year,” Friday the 13th.
The Aragon team did managed to go on a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter off of multiple steals and transition buckets from sophomore guard Jen Horita successfully narrowed their deficit closer at 35-32 with 2:30 remaining in the game. With a chance of tying the game at the line, Aragon’s three-point attempt at the top of the key with 19.2 seconds remaining rimmed out.
In a back-and-forth battle between these two division rivals, Hillsdale and Aragon switched baskets early in the game. The Lady Dons took their first lead of the game with 3:22 in the first. In the subsequent possessions, the Lady Dons were able to extend their lead further before a three-point-play from the Knights reignited the home crowd and showed the visiting team that they were not going down without a fight.
The first quarter ended with Aragon holding the slimmest of lead at 10-9. More tensions rose between the division rivals in the second quarter as the student section of Aragon soon made their presence known when they stood up to support their team with five minutes remaining. It was then that Aragon pushed away from Hillsdale by finishing the half strong and entering halftime with a 16-12 lead. Despite committing more turnovers, Aragon was able to keep Hillsdale from capitalizing on their mistakes.
Fresh out of halftime, Hillsdale scored a corner three in their first possession, cutting the deficit to only one point. Not to be outdone, Aragon bounced back by scoring two free throws of their own. However, that was short lived as Hillsdale soon returned the favor by scoring another basket. Soon, the score became 18-17 with 5:04 remaining in the third quarter. Hillsdale recaptured the lead with 4:30 remaining, and it would turn out to be a lead they would not relinquish.
Later, Hillsdale went on a 6-0 run during the next two minutes to take a commanding lead at 23-18. Aragon would finish the quarter strong with a 3-0 run to bring them back in the game, but by the end of the third quarter, Hillsdale held the lead at 23-21.
Then, back and forth scoring from both teams extended the score to 25-22 with 6:51 remaining in the fourth. Soon after Aragon scored a free throw to cut the lead to a one-possession game, Hillsdale retaliated with a three-point dagger. This eventually sparked up a 8-0 Hillsdale run, debilitating the Lady Dons from recovering the lead.
The Hillsdale onslaught started at the 6:11 mark when they had stolen the ball away from Aragon and then scored a three point basket making the score 31-22. What was once a close three-point game quickly became 33-22 with 5:15 remaining in the game.
Then, at the 4:44 mark, senior guard Nicole Muranaga fell hard on the floor while pursuing a loose ball. An injury timeout was called and this moment signaled a wake-up call to the team. Frustration and exhaustion from the faces of the Lady Dons was apparent to all in the gym.
With time expiring and their options limited, Aragon began intentionally fouling. At the sound of the final buzzer, the final score stood at 37-32 in favor of Hillsdale. The loss gives the Lady Dons a 12-9 overall record and a 7-6 league record in the South division play.
