Freedom High School's girls basketball game against Stroudsburg came down to the wire, but the Patriots held on for 60 long seconds to defeat the Mountaineers, 42-41, last Friday.

The Patriots' last scored with one minute left in the game when Freedom guard, Taylor Garza, put the Patriots ahead by one point. Freedom guard, Jaiden Coyne, regained possession on a turnover, and the Patriots proceeded to play a flawless game of keep away before Coach Ron Garza called a timeout with 12 seconds left.

Freedom forward, Hailey Silfies, was fouled after teammate, Gia Erie, inbounded the ball. Stroudsburg then called a timeout with five seconds left, and Garza told his team to "stay up on them."

The Mountaineers' final shot came after the buzzer, and Patriot fans erupted in celebration.

"It feels good to get the win. I'm glad we kept the ball in our possession," Erie said.

The Patriots came out strong in the first quarter, tough on defense, running their plays, and taking their time on possessions.

Taylor Garza said, "We were really patient. We weren't chaotic."

The Patriots ended the first quarter with a 16-11 lead, continued to force turnovers in the second quarter, and had a 22-19 lead at halftime.

"We knew that number 23 [Abby Battle] was the main person we had to guard," said Garza.

Although the Patriots held Battle scoreless in the third quarter, Erie, who was vital to Freedom's defense, ran into foul trouble early in the same quarter.

"I heard my coach say I was going to foul out, so I wanted to make sure I didn't," she said.

Erie committed her fourth foul minutes later, but Freedom forward, Kaitlyn Swint, held her own, replacing Erie throughout the game. Coach Garza also alternated Patriot guard, Giselle Sanchez, who excelled on defense, with Meckenzie Herman, known for her three-point shot.

Stroudsburg took its first lead halfway through the third quarter and led 32-31 going into the fourth. Erie returned to the game for the second half of the fourth quarter, breaking a 38-38 tie with two points and 2:24 remaining on the clock.

Soon after, Silfies came down with a huge rebound on a missed shot by Stroudsburg, but Battle hit a three 30 seconds later. Garza responded with two points and an ultimate victory for the Patriots.

"Honestly, we should have had that team in the beginning," Erie said.

Also last Friday, Bethlehem Catholic's girls defeated East Stroudsburg South, 66-20, and Liberty's girls defeated Pleasant Valley, 46-42.