Down by three to the Fairfax Rebels at the end of the third quarter, one could feel the anxiety emanating from the Cougars’ bench. However, the score margin was the least of Oakton’s worries. Three-quarters of the way through the game, the Cougars had only scored a mere 20 points and had gone scoreless for over ten minutes straight, including the entire third quarter.

Despite the feel that the game was slipping away from them, the Cougars dug deep and revealed the quality that has made their program so great over the years: toughness. In the first quarter, the Cougars built their early lead through three-pointers. As any basketball fan will tell you, threes are a double-edged sword, if they’re used right, they can bury an opponent, but rely too heavily upon the long ball and you may cut yourself.

The latter certainly seemed to be the case during the Cougars’ scoring drought. At the beginning of the fourth quarter though, the winds had shifted. The Cougars resumed their potent offensive attack that has seen so much success throughout the season: pound the ball the ball inside and either look for a solid layup or kick the ball back out to the perimeter for a wide open jumpshot. Relying mostly on their inside game, the Cougars found themselves with easy points and more often than not, drawing fouls allowing them to go to the free throw line. Oakton finished the game with a strong and steady fourth quarter and a ten point lead.

With the final score at 46-36, Oakton Girls’ Basketball had secured another 6A Northern Region Championship. The Cougars look to continue their season in the 6A state quarterfinal this coming weekend.