The girls varsity basketball team and their fans went crazy cheering for junior Sally Rogal when she scored a three-pointer during the final minutes of the game against the McLean Mustangs. 

Despite Rogal’s contribution, the Lions lost to the Mustangs with a score of 34-31. Their overall record is now 4-2.

The Lions started off strong, scoring two-pointers in the opening seconds of the first, second and third quarters. McLean fouled in the first quarter when a player shoved senior and captain Hailey Weiss to the ground. She was not injured, but remained on the bench for the rest of the game. The first quarter was low-scoring, ending 4-4, but JDS had a 15-10 lead going into halftime. 

In the third quarter, the Lions and Mustangs were neck and neck. The score was very close, but JDS took a one-point lead, bringing the score to 22-21 at the end of the third quarter. 

The Lions started off the fourth quarter strong, but the game slipped away from them when senior Sydney Lewis, a player on the McLean team, got a hold of the ball. Lewis scored 23 out of 34 points, making her the player to watch. 

On the Lions’ side, junior and co-captain Sophia Miller, who has been a top scorer in the past few games, couldn’t play in the game because of her concussion. 

“I was disappointed that we let our lead go because we held it for most of the game,” sophomore Avital Friedman said. “We did as best as we could with what we had.”

The Lions were expecting a win against McLean School because of their recent victory in a tough game against Sandy Spring Friends School. Even though the Lions started the game well and led for most of the game, with a little over a minute left, McLean stole the ball and made a layup. The Lions were unable to respond to this newfound momentum.

“We got a little bit outside of our game towards the end … but overall, through and through, they stayed true to our game plan,” history teacher and assistant coach Matt Cohen said. “I’m proud of them. We have a really bright future moving forward.”