Washington-Liberty losesnail-biter to Alexandria Cityin Fall League

ARLINGTON, Va. — This past Saturday, Washington-Liberty commenced their Fall League season at Wakefield High School, after not playing in Week 1. They played Alexandria City High School in this one, and it was a rollercoaster of a game. Both teams had their highs and lows, and for the most part, lacked rhythm. It was a stop and start game, but one that Alexandria City won 33-30, on a buzzer beater in the last second of the game. The energy was outstanding in the game on both sides, and the atmosphere inside Court 1 was pulsating.

This was Washington-Liberty’s first taste of Fall League action this year, and it was not one game they would like to look back on. At halftime, it was a low score of 10-8, in Alexandria City’s favor, and neither team was giving the other one room to breathe. Tensions were high and it was a closely contested battle throughout the first 20 minutes. Washington-Liberty found it challenging to get through Alexandria City’s physical defense, and there was no room for them on the inside. Both teams resorted to taking perimeter shots, and that contributed to the low-scoring first half. From six minutes to 1 minute left in the half, no teams scored, and it was a defensive war. Washington-Liberty’s star players, like Adam Dodini and Jack Cameron, could not get the offense going and Alexandria City did a tremendous job of not letting these playmakers drive to the basket or give out threatening passes.

In the second half, it was more of the same. Alexandria grew their advantage to 24-16 with 12 minutes left in the game, and Washington-Liberty could not get anything rolling. They made a lot of poor turnovers and Alexandria City kept getting louder, while Washington-Liberty kept finding it difficult to score. The intensity looked different between the teams as Alexandria City showed more intensity, which contrasted with Washington-Liberty’s sluggishness. In the last couple minutes of the game though, the game began to ramp up. Up until this point, it was an uneventful game, and the entertainment was subpar. Washington-Liberty finally started to find their groove, and they took a lead with 45 seconds remaining, 30-29. Both teams went back and forth with each other and the margins were razor thin. The best moment of the game was the last second, as it led to heartbreak for Washington-Liberty and joy for Alexandria City. The score was tied 30-30 with one second left and after a quick throw-in from the sideline, Alexandria City shot a quick three-point buzzer beater shot, which sunk into the net. It was an insane finish to a tight game, and a tough way for Washington-Liberty to end their first game of the fall season.

Both teams were evenly matched in this game and it was a grand finish in the form of a game-winning buzzer beater for Alexandria City. For Washington-Liberty, it was an upsetting ending, as they fought back late in the game to tie the game, but their comeback went down the drain as their opponents made the final shot. Next weekend, Washington-Liberty faces off against Fairfax High School, and after a loss in this one, they will be looking to get back to winning ways. What changes will Washington-Liberty heading into their second game? Will the offense be able to step it up and score more points than they did this past weekend?