With the end of the Briar Woods Girls Varsity Basketball season, Head Coach Raven Short reflects on how far the girls have come, saying, “I wouldn’t change anything for the world. The good, the bad, the ugly, it’s all happened for a reason. It’s been amazing seeing this team being able to be the first to do a lot of things and cement themselves in history. I hope that they remember some of these memories forever and I’m so proud of everything they’ve been able to accomplish, from [the Potomac District Championship] to the [Region 5D Championship].”
On Friday, Feb. 16, the Falcons faced the Stone Bridge Bulldogs in the District Finals. Briar Woods maintained a comfortable lead for most of the game going into the second half of the fourth quarter, where Stone Bridge made a run and cut down the lead to 4 points. However, Stone Bridge could not build up enough momentum to capture the lead, ending the game 43-34.
Similarly, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, the Falcons went up against the Lightridge Bolts in the Region Semi-Finals. The Falcons played strong defense from the start, and even as the Bolts tried to keep up, the Falcons were relentless, forcing turnovers that led to fast-break points. In the 52-37 victory, the Falcons’ shooting guard, Giuliana Bohmer, led the team with 15 points. With this win, they secured a spot to play in the Region Finals.
Hope Drake, senior small forward, shares what she thinks separates the girls’ team from others, explaining, “we have such great talent. Giuliana Bohmer’s an amazing shooter, Noelle’s amazing at blocks and Tia’s really great at being a point guard and leading us on the court. Other than the talent we have, it’s definitely our chemistry on the court. All of our starters are seniors, so we’ve been playing together for such a long time and we know where each other is on the court.”
The Falcons took on the Stone Bridge Bulldogs again in the Region Finals on Friday, Feb. 23. Multiple three pointers from seniors Giuliana Bohmer and Sienna Casillas in the first quarter gave Briar an early lead, with a score of 13-4. The Falcons moved the ball well, with great ball handling and sharp passing in the second quarter, which allowed Briar Woods to hold onto their lead, going into half-time 19-13. The Bulldogs turned things around in the third quarter, making a few runs and trading the lead several times. Luckily, Drake had a hot hand, scoring three three-pointers in the quarter and bringing Briar back in the lead just in time, closing out the third quarter 35-33. The fourth quarter featured key rebounds and clutch defense from Drake and senior power forward Noelle Cabiness, securing the lead for the Falcons and winning the Region 5D Championship with a final score of 49-45.
Coach Short comments on the girls’ performance against Stone Bridge, saying, “we gutted that one out and our fans were amazing, the staff was amazing and everybody came out to support, so it was a fun game. The girls wanted it and they proved how much they wanted it down the stretch. The atmosphere was awesome and I wish more people would consistently go to women’s sports games.”
On Tuesday night, Feb. 27, Briar Woods Girls Basketball ended their season in a heart-rending loss against Patrick Henry. The Falcons started out shaky, with multiple turnovers resulting in an early lead for the Patriots. Thanks to several steals towards the end of the first quarter, the Falcons capitalized and cut the deficit to two points, as the Patriots led 11-9. In the second quarter, the odds turned in the Falcons’ favor, as they handled the ball with precision and their newfound momentum caught the Patriots off guard. The Patriots continued to struggle and made several costly turnovers. Seniors Drake and Tia Chen made key three-pointers that helped propel their team into the lead. Their tough mindset and determination on both ends of the floor put the Falcons ahead, 21-17 at the half.
The third quarter was filled with tension in the stands, as both teams were called for numerous fouls, causing the lead to alternate back-and-forth. With a couple of crucial foul shots made by Drake, the Falcons took the lead heading into the fourth quarter, 27-26. The Patriots drew foul after foul in the fourth quarter, inching closer to taking back the lead. However, the Falcons held strong, maintaining their lead until the very end. Midway through the fourth quarter, Cabiness, star power forward for the Falcons, fouled out of the game, leaving a noticeable gap in the Falcons’ defense. Sensing an opportunity, the Patriots took advantage of this weakness, playing more aggressively on offense and putting pressure on the Falcons. As the clock wound down, the Briar Woods student body was sure they would come away with a win. On the verge of the Falcons celebrating a win and with only 3 seconds left on the clock, senior shooting guard Jada Cook made the buzzer-beater three-point shot that sealed the win for Patrick Henry. The buzzer sounded, and the gym erupted in a combination of outrage and cheers as the Patriots emerged victorious with a score of 36-35.
Drake expresses how she feels about the end of the season, stating, “it’s bittersweet because we’ve run over these fast four years but we’re leaving this program with such a good mentality. Seeing our friends in college and everything is really exciting, but it’s sad not being able to play with them anymore. I’m just glad that I got to leave this program on such a high note and leave with our mark as seniors.”
