“ERRRR” the buzzer screeched like a bat; end of the third quarter, time to give it our all. I grip the ball in my hands, it was up to us. We just had to make crisp passes and accurate shots. We needed to win this basketball game; we had the effort, had the strength, but we needed EVERYONE to want this game. It was ours. If we won, it would be our first win of the season! The score was 21-19; we were losing at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Just 12 minutes of playing time determined if this game would be ours. I could feel the clock ticking down inside my head, pulse increased, I knew everyone was watching to see the end. The gym was suddenly as quiet as a mouse.

The game seemed like a blur as we scored, then they scored. Soon the clock was winding down. Just 2 minutes left and 9 points later, we were only 2 points behind! The gym was now louder, everyone was either cheering or waiting with anticipation. “SWISH!” a 3-pointer for me! The crowd cheered! We were in the lead!
“Foul! Two shots.” shouted the referee as he blew the whistle.
“Come on ref! Bad call!” yelled Coach Lazowski.
I shook my head in disappointment and lined up to watch my opponent take the lead with free-throws. The shot went up. MISS! Then the second shot went up. WOW! Another miss. You could hear the screams of the parents and fans in the stands, it was almost as loud as a plane taking off. The shot went up and Mishelle grabbed the rebound, she passed it to me as I started heading down the court.
The gym suddenly went hushed again, like a baby’s nursery. Only 30 seconds remained in the game, the score was now tied; 33-33. Our ball; my hands got clammy as I passed the ball to my teammate; SCORE!  The pounding of the ball thumped like a heartbeat each time I dribbled. As the clock ran down I started getting more and more nervous.
My head started flooding with questions; What if we don’t win?.. We’ve worked so hard for this game. What if I drop the ball and they shoot a 3 for the win of the game?!       I shook the thoughts out of my head. Just focus. 7…..6…..5…. the clock winded down. We were in the lead; 35-33… I dribbled the ball down the court, passed it to my teammate, who passed it directly back to me.
The clock ticked to the final seconds; my lane was wide open, 4….3…. I went in for the layup, 2…. SCORE!!!! “ERRRRR” the buzzer screamed throughout the suddenly rambunctious crowd.
Coach ran up to the team and I,
“Congratulations ladies! I knew you could do it!”
“Thanks” we say. We were all really tired and excited at the same time.
Next, my mom and dad ran up to me,
“Great job honey! You knew you wanted this game and you tried so hard! We’re very proud of you”.
Wow.. I thought, We actually won! I guess if you put your mind to something, you really CAN accomplish it!?