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Sports

Archer Hoops Lets Lead Slip Away

The Panthers lose 41-40 to Delphic League girls rival Crossroads.

In a game that came down to the final seconds, Crossroads High's girls basketball team used a late run to come from behind and edge the, 41-40, on Thursday night in Santa Monica.

With Archer (15-6 overall, 6-2 in the Delphic League) leading by five points early in the fourth quarter, the Roadrunners (9-12, 4-3) reeled off eight consecutive points to grab a 41-38 lead. Panthers' guard Danielle Hausberg knocked down a pair of free throws to close the deficit to one, but a late steal by Crossroads' Jenna Larry sealed the victory.

"We didn't play with the same kind of intensity and passion in the first half that we did when desperation set in," Archer coach Denny Lennon said.

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That desperation set in after Crossroads scored the first six points of the second half to extend its lead to 28-19. Archer responded by rattling off the final 12 points of the third quarter, taking its first lead of the game, 33-31, on a three-pointer by Hausberg with 35 seconds remaining in the quarter. Archer put an exclamation point on the quarter with a long jumper by Coco Maurice, who finished with a game-high 18 points.

Early in the fourth quarter, Crossroads coach Christine Smith gathered her team to remind them what happened when the teams last met on January 18. In that game, the Roadrunners grabbed a large lead before the Panthers rallied for a 56-50 win.

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"We've really worked on finishing games and making smart plays," Smith said. "They just maintained their focus. I'm so proud of them."

Despite the loss, Archer is still very much in the midst of the race for the league title. The Panthers are just a half-game behind first-place Lancaster Paraclete with two games remaining. The two schools meet Tuesday at Santa Monica College in a game that could decide the league champion.

"We have a good record," Lennon added. "If we can find a way to get those next two, we can probably get a pretty good seed in the playoffs. We just gotta be able to put this one behind us and play Tuesday night. That's big time."

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