Additional Reporting by Natalie Boquist and Grace Rustay

With four seconds left in overtime and the score tied at 42-42, senior Eliza Holt sprints down the court, swerves around a defender and takes a jump shot. The ball bounces twice around the rim before dropping into the net, and the Mavs rush the court in a stream of red and white jerseys.

On Dec. 6, the girls’ basketball team, led by captains Holt and Ana Rodriguez, defeated Kinkaid 44-42 in the semifinals of the Greater Houston Tip-off Classic. Their second victory against their crosstown rival in ten years propelled the Mavs to a second-place finish in the tournament behind The Village School.

Although the team had been outperforming expectations throughout the tournament, they felt “extremely nervous,” according to sophomore starter Lily Pesikoff. After a team huddle led by Holt, however, hopes rose.

“We started the game with a bad mindset,” Pesikoff said, “but Eliza gathered us into a huddle, then she hyped us up by reminding us that we could beat [Kinkaid] if we played our best.”

The Mavericks led the Falcons at halftime, reinforcing the team’s belief in their play.

“We looked at each other and thought that victory might actually be possible,” Pesikoff said.

According to Holt, because most of last year’s starters graduated, the team is in a development phase, adding to the surprise factor of the victory. Despite the apparent disadvantage, the Mavs hung in the game and refused to allow the more experienced Falcons squad to capitalize on an early lead.

“It was a wild game,” Holt said. “We stayed in it quarter after quarter, then we won at the last second.”

Moving forward, the Mavs seek to regain their momentum following a tough January characterized by multiple injuries, including that of Rodriguez. The team holds a 3-3 record in conference play. In their final regular season match, they will rematch Kinkaid, ranked second in SPC, on Feb. 7.

“If we can get out of this post-winter break rut,” Holt said, “we can do well for the rest of the season.”