On Christmas Eve Eve, aka Dec. 23, the Fremont Firebirds varsity basketball team looked primed for a win at halftime and after three quarters. The Firebirds led the Fighting Knights by six points at the half and by seven at the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately for Fremont fans, things would get really weird in the fourth quarter.
While struggling to break through the Fighting Knights’ full-court press, the Firebirds would accidentally score a three-point shot into their own basket, reducing a six-point lead to just three points at 37-34 with less than 90 seconds remaining in the game.
After two clutch free throws from Mackenzie Wong increased the lead to 39-34 with 19.5 seconds left, Hillsdale immediately answered with a three pointer after possessing the ball for barely five seconds. The score was now at 39-37 with 14.1 seconds left on the clock.
With 12.5 seconds left, the Firebirds would head to the free throw line again with a chance to make it a two-possession game, but both free throws were missed.
Hillsdale came down with the rebound and quickly pushed the ball up the court. A three-point shot just before time expired would rim halfway down and out.
The Fighting Knights came away with the offensive rebound and drew a foul on the Firebirds with less than half a second left on the clock. Two free throws for Hillsdale to try to tie the game and force overtime.
What happened next was even more bizarre. Fremont was charged a technical foul for calling back-to-back timeouts. Now, the Hillsdale Knights had four free throws, needing just three to win the game. And while the first free throw missed, the Knights drained the next three, winning the game 40-39.
Upon his initial response, Fremont Head Coach Miguel Castillo admitted it was his mistake calling successive timeouts. However, upon further investigation into the rule book, Castillo and Fremont believe the technical foul call was misawarded and that there should not have been any additional free throws.
This timeout mishap was a shocking end to what looked like some impressive basketball through three quarters from the Lady Firebirds.
Senior guard and lead ball handler Luciana Ortiz led the way with some really slick passing, driving the lane and slicing her passes through small windows right into her teammates’ hands for easy layups inside the paint.
The primary beneficiaries were sophomore forwards Ada Johnson and Nora Whelan. A young, but tall and athletic duo in the front court gave Fremont supporters a glimpse of what can be a balanced attack this season.
Ortiz, along with fellow guards Jiyah Caban, Vivian Lee and the aforementioned Mackenzie Wong, provide excellent outside shooting, but perhaps missing from Fremont’s lineup in recent years has been a strong inside presence.
Given the new element of size to this year’s team, the Firebirds appear to have the ingredients to have a strong season this winter. Fremont will open up league action on Jan. 4, 2025 when they host Lynbrook.
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