The Morton Maidens basketball team played host to district foe Plains this past Tuesday night, falling to the Cowgirls, 49-43.
The Maidens struggled to make shots on the night, and trailed the entirety of the game, but they almost pulled off a comeback.
After trailing by as much as 16 points, the Maidens cut Plains’ lead to just three in the fourth quarter, and they had the opportunity to send it to overtime but missed the game tying three in the closing seconds of the game.
“I told the girls early in the fourth quarter that it was going to take something special from them,” Maidens Interim Head Basketball Coach Martin Adams said. “They were tired and shots were not falling in our favor. I told them they would have to dig deep within themselves and find that next level in order to give ourselves an opportunity to come back and win. They definitely found that level. Unfortunately, the game-tying shot did not go in, but in that moment, it showed how they handled adversity and still almost came out with the victory. That resilience is very important for our growth and the future of our program.”
Coach Adams would go on to acknowledge how tough the loss was to handle but also commend his girls’ effort and grit in the face of adversity, which is something he’s extremely proud of. Scorers for the Maidens included Addy Sabala with 17 points behind 10/12 free throws made, Khloe Aguirre with 10 points, Ada Torrez with seven points, Blaize Garza and Haylee Toscano both with four points, and J’Lynn Marquez with one point.
The loss drops the Maidens to 11-19 overall and 3-8 in district play, which puts them fifth in the 2A District 5 standings.
Following the game, Morton recognized their seniors for Senior Night, which included Maidens Blaize Garza, Haylee Toscano, Khloe Aguirre and Ada Torrez, who Coach Adams had a message for.
“I can’t say enough about what I think of them and what they have meant to Morton Maidens basketball. It is an honor and privilege to coach this group of seniors,” Coach Adams said. “My message to them would be, use the adversities and the obstacles that you have faced during your career for life. Life will throw many hurdles at you. Take the successes with the failures. When you learn how to fail, you will learn how to succeed. Always believe and never give up.”
Before the Maidens senior class can put that real-world advice into practice, they wrap up their careers with one final game this season over the weekend against Sundown.