In a first-place girls basketball showdown in the A Division of the Independent School League, the previously undefeated Potomac School Panthers (16-1, 7-1) were nipped 65-64 in overtime by visiting Georgetown Day (15-2, 8-1) Feb. 11.
The result left the high-school teams tied for first. Potomac School had defeated Georgetown Day earlier this season.
In the loss, the Panthers led 30-26 at halftime, then the lead seesawed for much of the second half. There were seven lead changes in the game.
In the fourth quarter, Potomac School trailed 57-50 with 42 seconds to play, then rallied to tie the game at 57 and force overtime. Potomac School’s Zora Burrell made the tying 16-foot jumper off a pass from Kayla Rolph at the buzzer.
In overtime, the Panthers fell behind 65-61, then rallied to lose by one.
“All season our players have shown so much heart and always are ready for the moment,” Potomac School coach Mike Hutton said. “They know only one way to play: intense and aggressive.”
For Potomac School in the game, freshman point guard Catherine Letendre scored 26 points, had eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and a couple of defensive deflections. She made 13 of 16 free throws.
Skylar Giuliani had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Panthers to go with three assists. Burrell scored 10 and had four rebounds. Rolph had 14 rebounds, four steals and four assists to go with six points. Zoe Myslewicz added eight rebounds, four points and two steals, and Kerri Greene scored five with three rebounds.
For Georgetown Day, senior center Zania Socka had 15 points, 22 rebounds, six blocks and three steals.
“We missed some put backs and some easy inside chippy shots throughout the game that we usually finish,” Hutton said.
Potomac routed the Madeira Snails, 67-21, in its next ISL game two days later to start a new winning streak.
Potomac School began the week ranked 6th in the Virginia Division I private-school state poll. That is thought to be the team’s highest ranking in program history.