The J. Taylor Finley Middle School girls’ basketball teams turned in a solid season, winning five games and suffering several close losses.
Coached by Flower Hill physical education teacher Timothy Madden and captained by Ava McDonald, Grace Gordon, Ashley Alexis and Isabella Palacios, the 19 player squad was competitive throughout the two month long season.
The team was led by the four captains along with Leighton Evans and Bridget Callery. “I am most proud of the individual and collective improvement of this team,” Madden said. “Each athlete came each day and worked very hard. Every player gave everything they had each game, which made us very tough to play against.”
Madden was generous in his assessment of the team’s key players. “Ava McDonald is a very good ball handler and shooter,” the coach said. “Grace Gordon is a very good athlete. Leighton Evans is a fierce competitor. “Isabella Palacios is a good defender. Bridget Callery is a good ball handler and defender. Ashley Alexis is our most improved player with a ton of potential.”
The highlight of the season came in the final game on the schedule. “We were down by four points with three minutes left in our last game against West Hollow,” Madden said. “Justina Hlenski scored five points, which included an ‘and 1’ opportunity after she was fouled. Her free three put us up by one point with 1:53 left in the game. West Hollow hit two free throws to go ahead again by one point with 1:49 left. After three missed opportunities to score and go back up, we fouled a West Hollow player with 29.2 seconds remaining. Grace Gordon grabbed the second of two missed free throws by West Hollow and passed the ball to Ava McDonald who passed to Leighton Evans who passed to Justina and back to Leighton, who then banked a ten footer off the backboard with 18 seconds left to put us up by one point.”
A foul was called on Finley with 10.5 seconds left, sending the same West Hollow player to the free throw line. “She missed the first free throw and we called a time out,” Madden said “Instructions were given and executed perfectly out of the time out. West Hollow missed the second free throw, Grace rebounded the ball and was subsequently tied up and a jump ball was called. The possession arrow was in our favor and we executed a full court press to end the game. It was a roller coaster type game in which we fought until the end and never gave up.”
The 32-31 victory sent everyone home from the game and season happy.