In a must-win game against the Homestead Mustangs, the Eagles busted out a come-from-behind victory to win 47-40 today, February 7. The Eagles came into the game with an overall record of 4-5, and needed the win in order to keep their CCS hopes alive.

The game started off slow for the Eagles, who let a 2-2 score slip to 19-2 by the second quarter after 17 unanswered points. Homestead seemed to dominate the game with offensive quickness and defensive pressure that crushed the Eagles’ efforts. The Mustangs continued their momentum with consecutive steals, and it appeared that they had wrapped up the game by midway through the second quarter.

However, the Eagles refused to be counted out, and in the middle of the second quarter began to step it up. The team drove down the court for a few nice offensive opportunities, finishing out the half with a score of 12-25.

The Eagles exploded out of half time, and were able to quickly gain momentum. Strong play in the key by sophomore Meghan McDermott and senior Heather Sangster helped the team gain control of the game, and strong outside shooting by junior Ideen Seyed helped the Eagles close the gap to 26-33 by the end of the third quarter.

“The girls really picked up the pace in the second half,” Coach Kevin Lee said. “They focused in on defensive intensity and really executing our offense.”

With five and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles took a 36-35 lead, up for the first time in the game. The momentum completely shifted, and after a few three point shots by Ideen and Lauren Amorese, the team found themselves up 44-36. The Eagles closed out the game strongly, finishing off the Mustangs 47-40.

“It was a must-win for us tonight,” Lee said. “We have two more games and we hope to end up 7-5 in the regular season, and hopefully be in contention for CCS playoffs.”

The Eagles will face Santa Clara next week on Tuesday, February 14.