A three-point shot at the buzzer came up short, leaving the girls varsity basketball team with its first loss of the season to Rockford 42-39 in overtime.

Leading scorer freshman Theryn Hallock had 13 points on the night, 9 of which came in the first three minutes of the game to give FHC a quick 12-1 lead. A couple three-pointers later, Rockford found themselves back in the game, trailing 12-7 after the first. 

In the second quarter, Rockford senior guard Anna Glynn was nearly unstoppable to give them life on the offensive end. FHC at first struggled with the Rams’ trap defense, but found a way around it with quick passing to lead a close one 21-17 at the break.

Coming out of the locker rooms, Anna Glynn scored 4 quick points to tie it up at 21 two minutes in. Fatigue set in for the Rangers in the middle of the third, as the starting five played the majority of the game with help from a couple players off the bench. This was starkly different in comparison to Rockford, who sent in a fresh five nearly every substitution. The Rams were well-rested for the third quarter and outscored the Rangers 12-4 to lead 29-25 after three.

The Lady Rangers found a spark for the last quarter in regulation and picked up a full court press against the Rams. Two free throws from Theryn to gain the 31-30 lead and a charge taken by junior Ally Ringler with five minutes left gave FHC some momentum. Solid defensive performances from both teams, in addition to poor shooting nights from both squads, kept the scoring low and sent the game into overtime tied at 33.

A back-and-forth overtime gave the Rangers many chances to both tie things up and take the lead, but FHC couldn’t seem to make the clutch shots down the stretch. The buzzer-beater was no good, and the Lady Rangers suffered their first loss of the season.

The Rangers posted average numbers in nearly every stats category, as the team overall had an off night. In addition to scoring the fewest points all season, FHC only had 7 team steals. Notable defensive performances came from senior Claire Baguley, who was tasked with guarding Rockford’s shifty point guard, and senior Kaitlyn Piontkowsky, who challenged the Rams’ big center down low most of the game. Ultimately, the Lady Rangers were worn down early and faced foul trouble all night as a result of their scrappy style of play.

FHC moves to 3-1 on the season and now prepares for the Holiday Cornerstone Tournament. The girls take on Northpointe Christian Friday night and will look to get back on a winning track after this heartbreaking loss.