With just under 20 seconds remaining the Warriors had the ball down 50-49. All they needed was a two-point shot to take the lead. But senior Mallory Thompson dribbled around one defender, set up at the top of the key, just outside the three-point line, and sank the uncontested shot, giving Westside a 52-50 lead with nine seconds remaining.

“I thought it was a really bad idea when I shot it, and I’m really glad that I made it, because I would have been in trouble,” Thompson said.

In the first half of the game, the Warriors had been down by as much as 16. Northwest center Simone Goods was able to establish a post presence and dominate the glass and scoring. The Warriors, meanwhile, were unable to deal with the quick hands of Northwest defenders. With turnover after turnover, Westside fell into the 16-point hole as Northwest was able to get points in transition. But in the final two minutes of the first half the Warriors cut the deficit to 10 points on a 6-0 run to go into the half down 30-20.

In the third quarter the Warriors outscored the Huskies 17-11, cutting the lead to four before the final quarter. After a rough start to the quarter, where Northwest extended its lead to 12, senior Rachel Kaup forced Goods into missed shots in the post as the Warriors were able to pass effectively to break the zone defense of the Huskies. Sophomore Lynsey Curran, who had 10 points in the game,  hit two three-pointers and Thompson added another basket during an 8-0 run that made it 41-37, Northwest still leading.

After trading baskets for much of the fourth quarter, Westside junior Jenn Poots hit two free throws to narrow the Northwest lead to 50-49. Then, Thompson, who led the team with 11 points, hit her game-winning three-pointer. Northwest got multiple shot attempts with seconds remaining, but each one fell short before Westside finally secured the rebound and the win.

Westside moves to 2-2 on the season as Northwest moves to 1-2. Up next for the Warriors is Millard South Friday, Dec. 20 at 5:30 in the Millard South gym.