In an incredibly close game against the Hutto Hippos, the varsity women’s basketball team played their last home game of the semester. With both Principal Erin Campbell and the Future Warriors cheering on Westwood, the game was incredibly close as the Warriors played with a lock down defense and efficient communication. However, their performance faltered when it mattered most, and the Warriors lost; the final score at 43-38.

“I always love every opportunity that I can come support Westwood Warriors in basketball, any of our other sports, our fine arts, [and] our extracurriculars,” Mrs. Campbell said.  “This is where I get to see my students doing what they love. It brings me so much joy and fulfillment to see our students at their best.”

The game tipped off with excitement that carried throughout the entire game. However, soon the Hippos established an early lead, scoring the first two buckets of the game as the Warriors were unable to retaliate. In response came the Warriors’ x-factor, their strong defense that matched the  Hippos’ offense. With 3:32 left in the first quarter, Co-Captain Theresa Bell ‘26 was fouled, giving her the opportunity to score with a free-throw, setting the game 4-2 with the Hippos in the lead. After a quick timeout by the Hippos to stop the Warriors’ comeback, they sank a three to bring the score 7-2. This shot didn’t faze the Warriors however, as Isabella D’Alessandro ‘26 drove through her opponents for the layup. Following the trend of points, Claire Lee ‘26 and Iman Xu ‘28 made their own buckets and soon with a minute left, the Warriors were leading 8-7.  As the clock hit 30, Hutto drew a foul and a free-throw that brought the score to 8-8 to end the quarter.

“I think we all really wanted the [win],” Vivian Hapka ‘26 said. “So we all came out ready to go, ready to play, ready to score more points, [and] ready to have some awesome defense.”

Determined to regain their lead, the Warriors made the first shot of the quarter and the Hippos quickly followed with a bucket of their own. Taking advantage of an opening, Co-Captain Caroline Dougherty ‘25 hit a three, sending the crowd into cheers, putting Westwood in the lead, 13-10 . After a series of turnovers, free throws, and baskets, the score was tied once again at 20-20 with 1:05 left. As the whole stadium sat at the edge of their seats,  both teams continued their aggression. However as each team shut the other out the first half ended with the score tied, 20-20.

“During the game, I try not to think about [stress],” Ava Sartor ’25 said. “A lot of basketball for me at this point is muscle memory, so I kind of try to turn my mind off and just focus on playing and getting the ball, [having a] single-minded focus, and that takes away the rest of the confounding factors.”

The third quarter did not change the game much as tense fights for the ball continued, leading to fouls from both teams. Despite this aggression, Hutto drained the first shot of the third quarter through the tough defense they faced from the Warriors. However the third quarter quickly came to a close with Hutto in the lead at 31-27 after a series of fast possessions resulting in little points. But, shortly after being knocked down in the paint, D’Alessandro got right back up and scored a layup. Fortunately, with quick takeaways and fast breaks, the Warriors tied the game back up, 31-31 as the fourth quarter began.

“I think the first three quarters were really good,” Hapka said. “We were really poised, we were ready, and our game plan was going well. Normally, we have a drop off after halftime, but I think it was really good of us to keep pushing forward and keep our foot on the gas pedal, so I was really proud of us for doing that.”

The beginning of the fourth brought tension over the gym for each team to bump it up a notch. Unfortunately, after a short lead by the Warriors, the girls began to falter. After an early timeout by Westwood, Xu made a layup and was fouled in the process, giving her the chance for a free-throw, setting the score at 34-31 as the Warriors led. The lower the clock got, the more tense the crowd and the team was. As the tension rose so did the intensity for the battle for the ball, as both teams knocked each other down for possession. With two minutes left, Hutto tied it up, yet again, at 37. However, the Warriors’ communication, along with their defense fell to the frustration of the game. Finally, on defense, the Warriors continued to make simple mistakes that led to free throws. And with 48 seconds left, Hutto scored and further widened the gap to 43-37. Nearing the end, despite a free throw opportunity, there wasn’t enough time left in the game for the Warriors to recover their setbacks, ending the game with the Warriors just short of the victory, losing 43-38.

“Honestly, I was really frustrated [in the fourth quarter],” Sartor said. “I know that was a team we could have beaten, and I think if we had pulled it together and done a couple things differently, then we could have beaten that team.”

The Warriors will next move on to battle it out in the Austin High Tournament on Friday, Dec. 27.