Tension filled the DGS gymnasium as the girls varsity basketball team (8-2) took on their arch rival Hinsdale South (8-2), in arguably the most important game of the year. Down 17-16 at halftime the Mustangs were seeming like they were in trouble. But DGS was able to go on a 21-point rally in the third quarter to take the win, 44-29 last Friday night.

DGS came out of the 10-min halftime fired up as they were able to score 21 points in the third 37-26. The game quickly became verbally aggressive from

both sides as nine fouls were called throughout the quarter. DGS senior guard Allison Jarvis scored a clean three-pointer shot, she was able to withhold the ball again, but she got called for two technical fouls as HSHS sophomore Maeve Savage was guarding her.

“This game is really important to me; I really want to win the conference going out with my senior year. I just told myself during halftime it’s now or never, so I just gave it my all,” Jarvis said.

After the third quarter ended, the game became very physical. Both teams had many girls on the floor throughout the fourth, making the parents and student sections very rowdy towards each other.

“We’re not used to a student section or atmosphere like this, and I told the girls at practice yesterday it’s gonna be different but it should be super fun and you should have adrenaline flowing, everything like that. Again, playing Hinsdale South rivalry it’s going to be physical, you’re going to have chirping back and forth. I’m just really proud of my girls for how composed they were on the court like when something would happen like getting pushed they just held their composure and walked away from it, which is huge,” DGS head girls varsity basketball coach Lyndsie Long said.

HSHS was not able to bring the game back in their favor as they were only able to score three points in the final quarter, DGS with seven points.

DGS junior forward Hayven Harden won the jump ball against HSHS sophomore forward Amerie Flowers. DGS was the first to put points on the board as sophomore guard Elizabeth Rous made a layup to get the game started 2-0. It did not take long for HSHS to respond;sophomore Sloane Kiefer was able to make a layup and follow it with a two-pointer shot to put HSHS in the lead 4-2.

DGS called a 30-second timeout to ease the tension, since HSHS was able to steal the ball two times in a row with 3:26 left in the first quarter. The first quarter ended with a tie 12-12.

“I think we got a little frantic with ball pressure on us. It caused us to turn the ball over in the first too many times,” Long said.

Jarvis attacked first in the second quarter by scoring a behind-the-back layup within the first 25 seconds, starting the score at 14-12. Flowers quickly replied as she followed Jarvis’s layup with a layup of her own 14-14.

Both teams were only able to score one more basket throughout the remainder of the quarter. Savage scored a three-pointer, DGS Jarvis replied with a layup right after, 17-16.

Their next game will be at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 at home against Wheaton Warrenville South High School.