Heading into Saturday’s home game against Exeter, Girls’ JV Basketball wanted to continue its quick start to the season with another victory. The team started its season with four straight wins and one loss against Loomis Chaffee. Choate beat Exeter 36-30 in a thrilling back and forth game.
“We knew Exeter was going to be a competitive game,” said captain Hadley Rogers ’21. “They had a pretty significant height advantage, but our hustle and ball movement kept us in the game, and we were able to pull out a win.”
The teams played close during the first three minutes of the game, with each team trading baskets. With two minutes left to play in the first quarter, Talya Omino ’22 pivoted around an Exeter defender and finished the play with a right-handed layup, tying the game at 7-7. The first quarter ended with Choate ahead 10-7, and the close score galvanized both teams to focus for the final quarter.
Choate exploded on the court in the second quarter, starting off with a 6-1 scoring run, giving the team a 16-8 lead with four minutes left to play in the half. Exeter, unwilling to concede, took on Choate’s momentum, going on a 6-1 scoring run, which left the team down by only three points at half-time.
At the beginning of the second half, Exeter continued its momentum, scoring five straight points and going up by two. After not scoring in the third quarter’s first four minutes, Choate’s Chiara Vessicchio ’22 scored a jump shot and tied the game at 19-19. But, once again, Exeter regained momentum, ending the quarter up 24-21.
With neither Choate nor Exeter being able to get clearly ahead so far in the game, the stage was set for an exciting fourth quarter. Choate tied the game with a quick three-point shot from Maddie Chia ’23, but Exeter took the ball up the court and scored a layup, once again taking the lead. Choate came back strong, scoring five straight points and regaining a three-point lead. Against all odds, Exeter climbed out of the deficit and once again tied the game, at 29-29.
With only a minute and ten seconds left on the clock, Choate gained a three-point lead. Exeter took the ball up the court but missed a layup, leaving Omino to grab the rebound and get fouled with only 40 seconds remaining.
With Choate in the lead, Omino went to the free-throw line, and, unfazed by the pressure, swished both free throws, giving Choate a five-point lead. After a foul on an Exeter player and only one successful free throw, Choate delivered the final blow with a jump shot from Annika Lee ’23 in the last 14 seconds of the game, putting them up 36-30 and clinching the victory.
Choate hopes to carry this momentum throughout the rest of the team’s games in February and conclude the season with a victory over its enemies, Deerfield.
