Silent Night Basketball Game: The Lady Saints Lose to the Vikings 37-36

On January 10, the annual Silent Night basketball game occurred at San Dimas High School. The Lady Saints basketball team lost to the Northview Vikings by one point. The final score was 37-36, leaving the crowd silent. 

The game started strong for the Saints, looking very promising. After the jump ball, the Lady Saints gained possession of the ball and captain Ava Bowman (11) drowned a 3-point shot and started off the lead. As the game progressed, the Saints kept the lead against the Vikings, leaving them trailing behind. The Saints did not let up, continuing to go after the Vikings despite their lead. The game was fast-paced, going back and forth. The Lady Saints went into halftime with the lead and controlling the tempo. 

At halftime, the Saints huddled and discussed their game plan going into the second half of the game. As the third quarter began, Sophomore Priscilla Romero led the team in points. The Saints held their lead through the third quarter, playing sharp. 

The turning point of the game was the last quarter, due to the fact that the Vikings were trailing behind only by a basket. The fourth quarter went back and forth making the atmosphere in the gym tense. The Vikings began to take the momentum of the game, while the Saints began playing sloppily, turning over the ball and the Vikings capitalized. The Saints still held the lead, and in the last minute of the game, it looked to be over for the Vikings. 

However, in the last 10 seconds of the game, the Vikings caught up to the Saints, making it a one-point game, with a score of 36-35. The last possession for Northview allowed them to score making the game 37-36. The Saints took the ball down to their basket for the final possession of the game but were unlucky in matching the score. Unable to make a buzzer-beating shot, the Vikings defeated the Saints by one point.

After reflecting on the game, Sophomore captain Pricilla Romero led the team with a total of 13 points. Romero explains that “Our team is very unique in a way that we have more players that can go in the game and still dominate, but I feel like it did not show when we played Northview.”

Junior captain Ava Bowman, with 7 points in the game, commented on the Lady Saints’ changes for the next time they play Northview. She says, “we definitely are going to start out strong again next game and this time we will secure that lead and keep it until the end.”

Overall, Silent Night was a competitive game that was worth watching.