The Warriors faced off against the Round Rock Dragons in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final second, ending in a loss 50-47. Despite leading for much of the game and executing strong offensive and defensive, the Warriors were unable to close out in the end.

“I think that the one point loss really tells us that there are teams that we are ready to compete and not to underestimate us because we can compete with anybody and we are willing to do anything we can to put our best effort forward,” Hadyen Espinoza ‘26 said. 

With a weak start Vivian Hapka ‘26 missed the tip off, leading to an early possession for the Dragons. The Dragons missed their shot, allowing Hapka to get the ball and throw it cross court to Evelyn Bell ‘28 to score a 3-point shot. From there Iman Xu ‘26 assisted Theresa Bell ‘26 in a back-to-back 3-point shot for the Warriors. This growing rhythm helped the Warriors build confidence and energy on the floor allowing them to close out  the first quarter 11-8, holding the lead. 

“Our team just tried to stay calm under pressure and by staying calm we were able to get some points to give us a chance to win.” Bell said. 

As the second quarter continued, both teams traded possessions as the intensity picked up on both ends of the court. Defensive pressure from the Dragons forced several turnovers, but the Warriors answered with key steals and rebounds from Xu and strong interior defense from Bell . Bell continued to look for openings, helping keep the Warriors ahead leading into halftime 21-16.

“We got an early lead on them and that just really got us motivated to keep pushing and working harder for the rest of the game.” Espinoza said. 

Coming out of halftime, the Dragons applied heavy pressure, using a full court press to disrupt the Warriors rhythm. The momentum began to shift in the third quarter as the Dragons fought on defensive violations and quick transitions, weakening the Warriors lead and forcing the Warriors to fight to stay ahead. 

“When they came out pressing us in the third quarter,” Hapka said. “That was when the score became a lot closer again and it shifted the momentum away from us and towards them for the first time all game, and we had to fight hard to stay in it.” 

Despite the pressure, the Warriors continued to respond with resilience. Bell stepped up at the free throw line, while Xu and Bell added crucial baskets to keep the game within reach. Communication on defense helped Warriors force missed shots and create fast break opportunities late in the third quarter 32-29. 

“Communication on the court is definitely something that is important and something that I think my team still needs to continue to improve on moving forward,” Bell said. “specially on defense I think that whenever my team really talked on defense we were able to make plays out of our defense and turn it into offense. If we to continue to work on talking I think that will help up win in future games.”

In the final quarter, the game came down to execution. The lead changed multiple times as both teams capitalized on free throws. With seconds remaining, the Warriors fought for one last scoring opportunity, but the Dragons was able to edge ahead by a few points, sealing the 50-47 result in the closing moments.

“We were definitely mad at ourselves for letting our lead slip away and reflecting on how it could have gone our way.” Hapka said.

Although the outcome did not go their way, the Warriors showed determination and competitiveness throughout the game. The narrow loss highlighted the team’s ability to compete at a high level and left them motivated to learn from the experience moving forward. 

The Lady Warriors will take on Stony Point on Jan. 9. prepared to fight and win.