After 32 hard-fought minutes, the Patriot bench jumped to its feet while its’ coaches’ heads fell, but the meaning was the same: Freedom’s girls’ basketball team had just clinched a 41-40 victory over East Stroudsburg North last Tuesday night at Freedom High School.

“I’m so excited,” said Freedom guard, Kyra Jefferson. “I finally know we can win more.”

With 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the score already 41-40, the Patriots began to stall. Freedom guard, Tahlia Suggs, was fouled, but the Timberwolves had it to give. Freedom inbounded the ball, and Jefferson was fouled, but missed the first of a one-and-one.

East Stroudburg North rebounded the miss and called a timeout, followed by another. Three timeouts later, with only one by Freedom, the Timberwolves took one last shot that missed.

“Win the game, stay in it, stay focused, straight up,” said Jefferson, regarding Coach Dean Reiman’s final instructions.

The Patriots seemed to breeze through the first quarter against the Timberwolves, taking an 18-9 lead, quickly becoming 20-9 at the start of the second quarter.

A nine-point lead close to halftime was cut to four points when the Timberwolves scored consecutively to close out the first half.

“We were up the whole time. We needed to play harder,” Jefferson said.

It was inevitable the Timberwolves would come after the Patriots in the second half.

Freedom guard, Tahlia Suggs, said, “We came out strong, but they started to get momentum. We needed to match their aggressiveness with rebounds, fouls, boxing out, and action over reaction.”

The Timberwolves, however, scored six straight points to take the lead from Freedom, but Carissa Norder came off the bench for the Patriots to score, and Suggs put them back in the lead with two more points toward the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter would be the toughest challenge for both teams from a defensive standpoint.

“They started reading us. We had to deny the ball, so they wouldn’t get it,” said Suggs.

East Stroudsburg North intercepted two passes in the final moments when the Timberwolves scored four more points, but a basket by Freedom forward, Hailey Silfies, kept the Patriots on top.

Last Tuesday night was also Shirt Off My Back Night for the Patriots. Juniors and seniors from the team honored one teacher or administrator who made an impact on them during their high school career.

For Suggs, a senior, it was social studies teacher, Jo-Ann Kristofic.

“We were supposed to choose someone who motivates us,” Suggs said. “She’s always there for me, and every morning, we talk.”

Prior to the start of the game, those teachers and administrators being honored were recognized on the court while a paragraph was read that each player had written about their chosen person. After the game, Suggs sprinted to Kristofic, who had been given Suggs’s away jersey, and hugged her.