Have you ever played basketball? Well basketball is my life! I’ve been playing basketball for five years now. This year I played for the San Diego Sharks for the first time. It was a great experience because I got to play with some of the best basketball players in San Diego, which really helped enhance my skills.

My first game with the Sharks was intense.  I had spent the night at one of my teammates house, Shai, so I got a ride to the game with him. It was a warm summer day. I really wanted to win because we were playing my friend Jonah’s team. This game was going to be a good one. The game was about to start and we were in our lay-up lines and I was on fire; couldn’t miss. I was as ready as I have ever been.

It was time for the jump ball. Our Center, Grayson/Big red, and their Center, Cole, were jumping. The referee threw the ball up; it was rolling very slowly in the air, as if the ball would never come down, however it did. The game was on.

John, their point guard, dribbled the ball up to the three point line and tried to pass but we got the ball, causing a turnover. We took it to the hoop for an easy bucket. We were killing them on defense and we couldn’t miss a shot.

They had the ball and John tried passing it to Jonah, but I came between the two and intercepted the ball and took it to the hoop. I was on fire, however, I couldn’t make a bucket the rest of the game. It was halftime we were all exhausted.

The game was electrifying, more than any game I have ever played in. Our coach gave us a pep talk before the second half began. It was time; the final 20 minutes. Their team started with the ball, it was 25-18. We were winning but then John just took it to another level, buckets here, buckets there, he was lighting it up, and we could not cover. I did my best to stop him on Defense and I did a good job of it, but he was just so fast. I held him to four points but then he started driving towards the opposite wing, and then he kept scoring. We were still winning, 40-37, with 30 seconds left. We had the ball and we called a timeout to regroup ourselves. We got the ball and got it to our point guard, Grayson, and he shot the ball; miss. They got the ball and the clock was winding down. Jonah shoots the three to tie… Swish. We were tied up at 40 and heading for overtime.

We talked before overtime. We should have already won the game but we couldn’t hold the lead. This was what we gave them, a chance to beat us. It was time for the OT jump ball. They got the ball and scored. We got the ball and scored. It was back and forth trading buckets, until the final minute of OT.

They got the ball to John who shot the ball and shot a three with six seconds left…swish. We were down by six with three seconds to go. The game was pretty much over but we still gave it one last shot. We threw it down court but we missed the shot. As they say “Ball game”; we had lost the first game of the season. It was a good overtime game and a great game all around for both teams although I feel like we should have won. I scored six points, three rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. But I told myself after the game, Rome wasn’t built in a day…..