For the first time ever, Meridian Girls Basketball emerged victorious over James Madison High School on Saturday, Dec 12, although the score was very close. Neither team was able to fully take control, until Meridian pulled clear in overtime.
The Mustangs started the game barely ahead of the Warhawks. After several minutes and a few key layups, the Mustangs finished the first quarter with a 13-11 lead. However, in the second quarter, the Warhawks’ persistent offense proved to pose a challenge for the girls, and led Meridian to be trailing 19-23 at halftime.
After the much-needed break, the Mustangs were determined to erase their four-point deficit and secure a win against Madison. This determination allowed the girls to pull ahead, finishing the third quarter leading 27-25.
“Our team did a really good job of handling the press and pressure from Madison, and also we did a great job of containing the drive on the zone defense,” said sophomore Bridget Creed.
The last quarter proved to be the most challenging and action-packed part of the whole game. The play was consistently tight, with the Mustangs playing strong defense against the Warhawks’ relentless offense. The girls gave Madison a very hard time: the score stood at 32-29 in Mustang favor, with only one minute of the game left to go .
Just when it seemed like the game would finish with a Meridian victory, Madison scored a three-pointer with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter, tying the game. With both teams focused on preventing the other from scoring, the fourth quarter ended 32-32, bringing the game to overtime.
The stakes were high all throughout the final eight minutes of overtime: Meridian was undefeated so far in the season, and were not about to let Madison ruin their perfect record. The Mustangs stepped up their game, with fantastic drives by Charlotte Lieu, along with several critical free throws from Bridget Creed and Rose Weatherly. Despite another 3-pointer from Madison, the Meridian girls basketball team kept the Warhawks at bay, finishing off the game with a 42-39 victory.
After the game, assistant coach Ryan Coughter explained why he thought communication was the key to the Mustang victory.
“We played very strong defense, we were talking a lot, we played a lot of zone, and the communication was key for making that work,” Coach Coughter remarked.
Girls basketball will next host their rivals, Brentsville High School, on January 9, 2026. With a 1-1 score against Brentsville last year, Meridian will strive to keep their undefeated record, especially after this promising start to the season.
