There are five seconds left, down by one. He steals the ball and lobs it down the court as the crowd roars. As the buzzer hits triple zeros, the ball rolls in to give the Cardinals a one-point lead.

But that was only halftime.

Even after a miraculous 10-point comeback in the second quarter to retake the lead, round four of the playoffs would be the end of the Cardinals’ season with a 56-44 loss to Clear Springs on March 1.

“[At the start] we couldn’t hit any shots, everybody was offset and we weren’t really communicating on defense well, so that’s why they were able to get off on their run,” junior guard Kohlman Dutton said. “Once we got it all situated and just started playing basketball the way we’re used to, it came back for us.”

The extra momentum from halftime disappeared, though, as the Cardinals struggled to replicate the stifling defense that brought them back into the game during the second quarter. This combined with a stagnant offense and costly turnovers spelled the end for the Cardinal’s playoff hopes.

“We got too comfortable after halftime,” junior guard Shelton Henderson said, “We came out of half doing things that were never really in the plan, and we weren’t playing like it was a win or go home game.” While the heartbreaking loss was not how the Cardinals wanted to end their season, it provided time to grow both individually and as a team.

“The team went through a lot this season and we all grew as players and people because of it,” Henderson said. “We started the season slow but picked it up fast and were in a grove when playoffs came around. We kept it pushing but eventually came up short.”

Even though this season was a setback, it will prove valuable experience as the Cardinals chase their ultimate goal of winning their regional playoffs and making state.

“I got got to see what it takes to get where we want to be this season,” Henderson said, “I think everyone takes the time in the offseason to get better and then we come together and build off everything we learned as a team for next season.”

This is the end of their season, but it’s not the end of the journey. With the core of the team all being juniors, they will have one more opportunity next year to avenge their loss.

“We have all the pieces and experiences to make it to state next season,” Henderson said, “I think coming into next season with a different mindset can make a big difference.”

“It just makes us more hungry and more eager to get back,” Dutton said. “Hopefully we can get everybody back for the team next year so that we can have the same momentum going back in, but there’s no doubt that we’ll be much more hungry and much more urgent.”