Sports can be cruel and unforgiving, especially in the postseason.
The No. 2 state-ranked Park Hill South girls basketball team felt that harsh reality on Tuesday, March 11, when the previously undefeated Panthers lost their first game— a defeat that ended their remarkable season.
The 51-43 loss came against No. 3 Staley, who improved to 28-1, in the Class 6 District 8 championship game. A standing room only crowd was on hand at Staley High School to witness the highly anticipated district championship game between two of the top three teams in the state.
Park Hill South trailed most of the night but did go on a 9-0 run in the first quarter to take an early 11-6 lead. Staley quickly erased the deficit in the second quarter and Park Hill South never found a way back.
"Don't let one loss at the end define the whole season," Park Hill South coach Josh Dorr said of his message to the team after facing elimination.
"It was a great season. It was two great basketball teams playing each other. That's what happens; somebody had to win, and somebody had to lose. Unfortunately, it was us on the losing end of it."
Staley gained momentum in the second quarter with a pair of buckets before forcing some turnovers to kickstart a 14-0 run for the Falcons across a nearly four-minute span. Down by nine, Park Hill South senior Anaya Guess finally had an answer as she drilled a 3-pointer with 2:40 left in the half as the Panthers battled back to trail 22-18 at halftime.
In the third, the game tilted in both directions. Both teams shared short bursts as South pulled within three, but Staley ended the quarter strong to take a 7-point lead going into the fourth.
After Staley went up by nine early in the fourth, Park Hill South came roaring back. Addison Bjorn scored five straight points before Guess knocked down another triple to send the South supporters into a frenzy, getting the Panthers within one as Staley took a timeout up 37-36 with 4:30 left to play.
Out of the timeout, the Falcons reclaimed authority with an 8-0 run to take a 45-36 lead inside the final two minutes. That was a back-breaking run the Panthers couldn't overcome as their season concluded with a 51-43 defeat.
"We played hard," Dorr said. "We knew it was going to be a battle and they battled the whole way. They knew what they needed to do and they did it. We were fighting for every loose ball, fighting for every rebound. It just didn't go our way in the end."
It was a game full of passion and intensity from the opening tip. Park Hill South will take solace in knowing they left everything on the court, ending the season with a 28-1 record.
Bjorn finished the game with 19 points, 16 rebounds and a pair of blocks and steals. Guess scored 15 points, 12 in the second half, and went 3 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Senior guard Anaya Guess in the district championship against Staley on March 11.
The Panthers will say goodbye to Guess and seven other seniors who leave behind a tremendous legacy following the program's first undefeated regular season. Most of them have been around the basketball program's camps since junior high.
"This group's been coming to stuff since they were a lot younger," Dorr said. "I've known a lot of these girls for six or seven years. The way they fought every day, they came to work every day, always had a positive attitude and were team players. It was amazing to be their coach."