A sea of spectators decked out in black attire watched as the McLean girls varsity basketball team beat the Langley Saxons in a tight game. As the team came out for warm-ups, the student section was cheering already.

“We prepared for the game by working hard in practice and having high intensity before the game,” senior guard Kara Bremser said. “We really focused during warm-ups.”

To start the game, McLean sophomore Vilte Kacerauskaite won the tip off, setting the fast paced atmosphere for a first quarter that was chock-full of back and forth baskets. The McLean girls were able to attack the paint, but the Saxons fought back, trading shot for shot with the Highlanders. Langley won out the first quarter, ending with a 14-11 lead.

Langley started with the ball in the second quarter but was quickly taken out of their element by the McLean defense, with Kacerauskaite quickly scoring a layup in transition. Despite this, the ball stayed on Langley’s side for the majority of the quarter, with the half ending 24-19 in favor of the Saxons.

Half time was met with a McLean dance team performance. Their upbeat showing hyped up the crowd for the incoming second half.

The third quarter was slow, but the last 30 seconds quickly became the most exciting part of the game. McLean’s chemistry was unmatched, with smooth passes whizzing past between senior Brooke Thomas, senior Shushan Krikorian and sophomore Tatum Olson, ending in Olson making consistent three-pointers. The threes and foul shots kept Mclean the game, closing the gap to only trail 34-32 by the start of the fourth quarter.

Initially, the fourth quarter seemed like an easy win for the Highlanders. They took a sizable lead at 45-38, staying consistent with the earlier energy. Despite this, Langley quickly recovered, ensuring the ball never left their side of the court. Their downfall, however, was missing open layups after they’d quickly taken possession of the ball.

At 10 seconds left, the ball was back and forth between teams with McLean leading 47-45. Olson was fouled on a two-point shot and knocked down both free throws. Two free throws within the last second of the game also fell for the Highlanders, securing a 51-45 win.

“We played really well and had high intensity on both defense and offense,” Bremser said. “We really came out strong and pulled out the win.”

The girls take the court again on Friday, Jan. 27, to face off against Wakefield at home.