On Friday, Feb. 21, students filed into the student section for one of the best matchups of the year. The 9-5 Falcons went on the road to play the 11-6 Owls. With both teams ranked three and four in the Sunflower League, the game was bound to come down to the wire.

The Falcons had a talented roster, led by senior guard Nic Anderson, who committed to play division-one  basketball at Loyola-Chicago. Anderson was one of the best guards in the state, and the Owls had to game plan to stop him.

The Owls were coming off a 48-76 loss to the first-ranked team in Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Owls were looking to jump Olathe South in the Sunflower League standings to still be alive for the conference championship. Senior guard Sherron Woodbury was tasked with defending Anderson, who was averaging more than 24 points per game.

Both teams were unconscious from beyond the arc in the first quarter. The Owls struggled to defend the three-point line, while the Falcons did the same. Woodbury and junior Malachi Buckner took turns making threes for the Owls, but the Owls were down 19-20 at the end of the first.

Both teams continued to battle with each other in the second and third quarters, with Anderson and Woodbury leading the charge for their respective teams. Just like a main event boxing match, both teams were trading blows with each other, with no signs of slowing down.

All of the intensity was amplified in the fourth quarter. With less than four minutes left, the Owls were ahead. Junior David Harper intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and skyed up to the rim for a dunk to give the Owls a lead. With less than a minute left, the Owls were down 77-78. As the clock ran down closer to zero, Woodbury drove to the basket for a last-gasp chance. Over all the commotion by the crowd when his chance was missed, a whistle sounded. The referee on the sideline had called a foul, and Woodbury went to the line for a chance at victory. 

After sinking the first free throw, Woodbury attempted the most important free throw of the season for the Owls. His shot went short, and the game headed to overtime with a 78-78 tie.

The Owls’ fatigue really came out in overtime, as the Falcons stepped on the gas pedal and the Owls had no answer. The Owls only scored two points for the entirety of overtime, while the Falcons had 10.

In the end, the Owls just fell short 80-88. Woodbury and Anderson lived up to the hype, as Woodbury had 26 points, while Anderson had 31.

The Owls finish their season this week at Shawnee Mission East on Tuesday and at home against Olathe East on Friday.