The varsity girls basketball team lost 54-53 in overtime at home against the Lower Merion Aces on Thursday, January 9.

For the first half, the Panthers managed to stay ahead of the Aces by about a ten-point margin. The second quarter ended 31-19 for Haven.

“I think we played very well as a team. I know we were looking out for each other. Me and Olivia Voshell were working good on our pick and rolls,” senior guard Maryella Gill said.

The Panthers committed many fouls, which proved to be a constant throughout the match. 

“[The problem was] the little things,” Gill said. “We turned the ball over too much. We were a little frantic, forcing shots.

Despite having a comfortable lead, the Panthers were unable to maintain it, leading Lower Merion to bounce back and tie the score before the end of regulation.

When regulation ended with a 50-50 tie, the game extended to a four-minute overtime. The game was very close with both teams scoring low points during the overtime period.

“It seemed that every time we threw a punch, they threw one back and we need to learn how to adjust,” senior power forward Olivia Voshell said. “Keep your head down and don’t allow for too many more quick, easy buckets on their end.”

“We did a good job sharing the ball and having each other’s backs on defense,” Voshell said.

The overtime crowd grew electric as the time wound down. The Panthers brought an intensity that contributed to their game.

“This is some of the most intensity we’ve shown all season,” Voshell said. “If we can keep this up and fix some of those little changes going into our next game against Ridley, I think that we can really learn from this and show up better.”

The Panthers will travel to Ridley High School on Saturday, January 11 at 2 p.m., looking to bounce back from this defeat.