The Bowie Jackrabbits lost a heartbreaker on Friday night at the buzzer in their third game against Holliday this year.
The Eagles shot rattled in at the buzzer to give them the edge 53-52 against the Jackrabbits to earn the second seed heading into the playoffs.
Both teams knew what they were getting into heading into the game. The first game was won 47-45 thanks to a Jackrabbit buzzer-beater at home in January. The rematch at Holliday had less dramatics, but was still close. That time the Eagles won 48-42.
Both teams knew each other well now and with the teams so evenly matched it would come down to the small details or plays made that day.
The first quarter saw Holliday initially get out in front. The Jackrabbits tried to bring more traps with their defense in order to force the Eagles to commit to attacking earlier than they would like.
Holliday fell for it some times which sped the game up more to Bowie’s tempo. Still, the Eagles controlled the quarter, leading 12-6 at one point by attacking mismatches on offense with post ups.
The Jackrabbits were able to close out with two baskets to cut the lead to 12-10 heading into the second quarter.
Bowie took control of the game by bringing more of a full-court press to go along with the trapping. Outside of giving up several free throw attempts, the defense did the job for the Jackrabbits to also score more.
It was the best offensive quarter for the team in the game as six different players scored baskets and Bowie led at one point 25-18.
Holliday closed the quarter out by cutting the lead to one basket 25-22, but the Jackrabbits still had the momentum with how they were playing offensively.
The good times did not last into the second half though. The two teams went back and forth for most of the quarter as both teams got great individual scoring efforts.
Bowie’s Cade Thompson scored 10 of his team’s 12 points in the quarter as no defender seemed to be able to stay in front of him, which gave him room to make some pull-up mid-range shots.
For Holliday, Hayden Strealy scored nine points in the post or around the basket as it seemed no one could stop him when he caught the ball 10 feet or closer.
The Eagles were able to get some more scoring from other players as they closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to go up 41-37 heading into the fourth quarter.
Bowie was able to tie the score up 42-42 in the first two minutes of the final period and it was back and forth until the end of the game with five lead changes.
Holliday was in the bonus and made a free throw to go up 46-44. Bowie answered with Brody Armstrong scoring on an layup plus the foul, making the free throw to put the Jackrabbits up 47-46.
Holliday then scored five points on a post up play and a 3-pointer to go up 51-47. Thompson then made a 3-pointer of his own to cut the score to one point 51-50 with 1:10 remaining in the game.
Bowie’s Logan Hutson then got the ball for the Jackrabbits with a steal with 50 seconds left.
After a long possession and a missed 3-pointer from the Jackrabbits, Armstrong got the offensive rebound and put it back in to give Bowie the lead 52-51 with 22 seconds left.
After advancing the ball to half court and several time outs, Holliday ran the final play.
A mid-range spinning jump shot missed from Eagles point guard Jaxx Johnson, but Strealy got the offensive rebound on the baseline.
He passed the ball back out to Johnson who had a lane to the basket.
Bowie’s Tucker Jones stepped up to try and draw a charge. Johnson knocked him down as he put up the floater. The ball rattled in as the buzzer sounded, giving Holliday the win 53-52.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.