By Dylan Kenseth ’14

           In a brutal sprint to victory, the Williston girls varsity basketball team has prevailed over Deerfield in one of the closest games of the season. Even as I walked across the bleachers to my court-side seat, the long-term rivalry hung heavy in the air. Faculty and students were sitting on the edge of their benches from the first buzzer heralding the beginning of the first half, watching intently as Williston’s forward Kay Sample-Smart established an early eight-point lead over Deerfield. Before long, Deerfield came back with a series of foul shots, following Williston basket and basket into the second half. Though the tension was fierce and the free throws were many, the game seemed to be carrying on as normal for the first half.

            The second half was a different world. As the seconds blipped down and the score remained as deadlocked as Manhattan in rush hour, the gravity of the situation surfaced on the court. A Deerfield girl spun three times before landing face down on the wood; our own Kay took quite a beating herself but managed to stay on the court to see Deerfield’s demise. The population of the stands dwindled to the diehard fan base. They watched with rapt attention as the game passed into agonizing seconds of overtime tied at 34-34. Heart-pounding round after heart-pounding round of overtime passed by with nail-biting speed. Every dribble seemed to last an hour, every step a year. Finally, the ball swooshed through Deerfield’s net, and the game was ours. The girls shook hands and we made our way into the bitter night, warmed only by the memory of their job well done.