***Kyra Galbraith is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
The Wethersfield Flying Geese ended their regular season with a loss Tuesday, falling by just three points to Knoxville in the Lincoln Trail Conference tournament.
The game began, and the tension rose among fans and players almost instantly. The Geese had beaten the Bullets just a few weeks prior after the game went into overtime.
The Bullets were playing for revenge, and the Geese were playing to hold that winning title over their heads.
Knoxville won the opening tipoff, where Collin Hodge managed to sneak the ball away and score a layup to begin what would be a long night full of great shots.
The Bullets wasted no time before returning to their end of the court to make a three-point shot.
The first period ended with a four-point lead by the Geese, 12-8.
The second period continued with high intensity. Both teams were scoring left and right, always bringing the score to a tie with every shot.
As the first half came to a close, the Bullets had woven their way to the top, holding a short two-point lead over the Geese’s heads, 21-23.
The second period held high stakes for both teams. They both had a lot to prove in this game, and they did not slack. Both teams were scoring consistently, making all sorts of impressive shots.
The third period ended with the Bullets still leading the Geese, 41-44.
The fourth period is when the game got extremely nerve-racking. Both teams battled back-and-forth for the lead, until the last few moments when the Bullets were able to score one extra three-pointer as the buzzer sounded, bringing the game to a close with an unfortunate Geese loss.
The final score was 53-56, and the Bullets claimed 11th place in the tournament.
The lead scorers were sophomore Alejandro Garcia with nine, junior Hodge with 14, and senior Drew Hornback with the lead once again, scoring 23 points.
Looking ahead, the Geese will travel to take on the Annawan Braves next week for the first round of Regionals.
