Chapter 43

As I sat in Mrs. Evans class I kept bouncing my leg up and down. I was thinking about tonights game. Since we're in play offs the games are scattered. The teams we had needed to play still had to play other teams so we were only having games about once a week. Today was Friday night and we're going to play Middleton. If we beat them then we're definitely going to the championship. Things is, we have to beat them first. They're a really good team. During season they only lost one game. They're tall and they're fast. But we have better chemistry. During practice yesterday Braddock had us watching film of one of their games. We were going to have to really work for this game, but I know we can do it. I ran my hand through my hair.

"Ave you good?" Ollie asked from the desk behind me.

"Yeah I'm good. Just thinking about tonights game." I said.

"Don't worry about it dude. I know that other team is good but you guys have a really good team. They don't have anything on you guys." He said.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just nervous." I said running my hand through my hair again.

"You'll do great. And I'll be there cheering you on since its a home game." He said smiling.

"You're only going for Kara." I laughed. "How have you guys been anyways?" I asked. I realized that Ollie knew everything about me and Sara but I hardly ever asked about him and Kara.

"We've been good. I really liked her dude. She's really funny and smart and I always want to be around her." He said laughing.

"Have you guys done the deed yet?" I asked cocking my eyebrow at him. He just laughed.

"No not yet. She said she wants it to be special and I kind of do to ya know." He was kind of blushing now. He was such a dork. I just laughed. We talked about a bunch of different things until the bell rang. I loved talking to Ollie.

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As soon as the ball was tipped off Middleton had it. They already had one of their tallest girls back and threw the ball to her for an easy shot. 10 seconds in and it was already 2-0. I was running point this game. Kris didn't mind because she hated running point when it was a big game. After their shot Kris went out to throw the ball in to me. Middleton was running a full court press which meant we had to run a press break. Sara and I got to our positions and ran the play. I got open and ran straight through their double team. With two of them behind me that meant there were only two down low. I drove in down the middle and their two girls closed in on me. I jumped in the air pretending to shoot but passed it behind my back to Kristina and she made an easy 2 point shot.

Two quarters later and we were neck and neck. At half time the score was 60-58 with us ahead. I was playing decent. I wasn't doing great but I was doing okay. My defense was spot on because I was quicker than their point but my offense wasn't great. As a team we were doing okay. But okay wasn't good enough if we wanted to beat this team. In the locker room Braddock was giving us the run down.

"Our defense is good. We're going to stay in a full court man. They don't like that. They want us to run a zone like everyone else but were going to stay in a hard man defense. As for the press break we're doing a good job breaking it but we're going to have to change up the plays. So Avery make sure and call different plays when we get back out there. Girls were playing good. I know how hard you all have worked for this. You have to fight for it. You all deserve this. So go out there and show them exactly what we can do." Braddock said raising his voice at the end for emphasis.

One quarter later and we were down by five points. The score was now 73-68. Braddock had us circled around us. He kept saying that if we really wanted this we had to fight for it. The last thing he said was what stuck with me as I walked back on the court. The last thing he said was "If you want this you have to fight for it. If we lose, this could be the last game for some of you. So make this one count." My last game. This could very well be the last game I ever played in. I stepped on the court with a new fire inside. This wasn't going to be my last game. I was going all the way. Me and my team. We were going to see this thing through.

The buzzard rang signaling the start of what could be my last quarter. I looked out at the scene that laid before me. Sara was throwing the ball in, Kris was setting up for the play, Kara and Kristina under the basket, and I getting ready to take the ball down. Middleton had dropped back to a half court press, which means I could break them. I took the ball down and signaled Sara to fall back into the play. I watched as the defense was getting ready to try and trap me. I dribbled the ball slow and steady until I got to the half court line. The line was like a barrier the other team wouldn't cross. They wouldn't cross so I came to them, and when I did I put all the speed I had in me into breaking their trap. I dribbled down the sideline, even though I wasn't supposed to. As the girls came to trap me on the side I kicked off with my right leg and split the double team. With them behind me I put up two fingers to call the play. Sara and Kris popped out to the wings. I passed the ball to kris and ran to my position. Sara looped around for a layup but it wasn't open. Sara ran back around and set a screen for me as I ran to the top of the key. Kris passed me the ball and I stop an offset 3 pointer. It didn't feel right. My feet weren't planted and I was still moving when I shot it. I followed the ball as it bounced off the rim and went left. I fought through three girls to grab my rebound and pass it to Kara for an easy shot off the back board. 73-70.

I ran back to set up our defense. We were running a full court man defense and it was killing us. Kris and Sara were exhausted already, and in all honesty I was too. But we had five minutes left. We could do this. As number 24 threw the ball in to my girl I came up on her playing hard defense. She tried to cross over, behind the back, between her legs, but she couldn't get past me. By the time I knew it it had been ten seconds and she hadn't crossed half court. Our ball.

Sara stepped out to throw the ball in to me but I couldn't get open. I crossed over there half court line to throw the ball but we were running out of time so Sara just threw it. I saw the ball coming towards me, I was a second or two from grabbing, I practically felt it in my hands. But in a split second my girl came out of nowhere and intercepted it. I chased her to the basket. I was faster. I should have ran in front of her. But my instincts were to block the shot. So I ran just a little faster than her and swatted my hand at the ball. I over extended my hand and fell forward tripping the girl. I heard the whistle sound before I even hit the ground. After I fell I got up quick. I didn't want to lay on the ground any longer than I had to. I extended my hand to number 12 who was still on the ground.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Its okay." She mumbled back. We lined up for the free throws. Sara was standing across from me. She mouthed 'breathe' to me. I just nodded. The girl only made one of her free throws. 74-70. 4 minutes left

Sara threw the ball in to me and I started to walk down the court. Slow and steady. I was going too fast. My whole body felt like it was buzzing. I wanted to run. Just plow through them all to the basket. But I couldn't. I had to be smart. They were going to try and trap me again. I ran to the sideline again but instead of breaking through them I looked down court and threw it over my head to Kris who ran down to the corner and shot a swishing three. 74-73. 4 minutes 30 seconds.

Back on defense my girl was coming down court again. I watched her carefully. She had been good about not looking where she was going to pass. I learned that the hard way. But her feet would point in the direction she wanted to pass. Her eyes were looking right but her feet were planted straight. She was going to try and pass over me to the post I could feel behind me in the center. As soon as the ball left her hands I jumped up and caught it. The post and another wing collapsed on me so I threw the ball to Sara who was running down court already. She ran it all the way in for an easy layup. 75-74. 3 minutes 37 seconds left. We were ahead by one point. We can win by just one point. Now we have to keep it that way.

Defense, offense then back to defense. It was a repeated cycle that I couldn't get enough of. I loved running up and down the court. I loved the way the ball felt in my hand when I was dribbling. I loved knowing a shot was good just by the way it left my hand. This was not going to be my last game. We have two minutes left now and the score is 76-75. We were ahead but not by much. We needed to keep our lead. It was out ball and I was taking it down. They were still in their half court press. I had only been trapped once by the double team, but I was not going to do that again. I look down the court to see what I'm up against. Theres three girls in front of me in a sort of triangle formation. Kris and Sara are at the wings and Kara and Kristina are down low with their girls guarding them. I was in the middle of the court but as I got closer to the half court line I started in with my left hand going left. As soon as the girls came to trap me I did a reverse spin move and broke the trap. The other girl was coming at me fast so I passed the ball right over her head to Sara who then had Karas man coming at her. Kristinas man left her to guard Kara and so all Sara had to do was fake a pass to Kristina and pass it to Kara who made the shot off the back board. 78-75. 45 seconds left. They rebound the ball and take it out. Fast. We didn't get back fast enough. The in-bounder hurls the ball all the way to the other side of the court where her girl catches it and makes an easy unguarded lay-up. Shit. 78-77. 28 seconds. Sara goes to throw the ball in. They switch up their defense to a full court press. They have two girls on me and one on Kris. I can't get open. Kris fakes out her girl and gets the ball. One of my girls leaves me to go and try and trap Kris. Kris passes it back to an unguarded Sara. We have to get the ball over half court of else its their ball. We can't let them have the ball. If they get it games over. Kara and Kristina are lined up on the half court line on either side. Sara throws the ball as hard as she can to Kristina who barely catches it because her man is on her. Thank god she's tall. As soon as the ball is in Kristinas hands I take off. I leave my man behind me and run as fast as I can through the middle of the court to get the ball. Kristina throws it to me and I can feel two girls chasing me. I make it to the basket and I'm about to go in for a layup when I feel one of the girls on my left reach in to hit the ball away from me. She missed the ball just like I did and ended up tripping me. Before I fell completely I threw the ball in the air behind me. Somehow it worked out that Kara was there to catch the ball and make one last shot before the buzzard rang. I was still on the floor. 80-77. No time left. We won.

I got up from the floor and ran over to the rest of my team. We were all hugging and jumping. I waded through my team to find Sara. She just looked at me and screamed

"We're going to the championships." I didn't say anything. I just picked her up and spun her around the way they do in movies. I was so happy. So fucking happy. In that moment with Sara in my arms and that feeling of winning something. Something you have worked so hard to get. I felt like I was invincible.