After falling behind by 14 points, the Meridian High School girls’ basketball team held possession for nearly the entire final minute on Tuesday night with a chance to tie the game against the Skyline Hawks. But they came up empty, resulting in a 52-47 defeat to knock them out of the Region 3B Tournament.
It was only the third loss of the season for the girls, whose 2025-26 campaign ends shy of the State playoffs. All three of them came to Skyline.
The Mustangs won 19 games and were the top seed in their region. They swept top Northwestern District rival Brentsville and earned some high-quality non-District wins, most notably against James Madison in overtime back on December 13. And yet the reward for all of their hard work was a second-round matchup – a must-win to advance to States – against the only squad that had their number.
When Skyline was in town for the girls’ regular-season finale 11 days ago, they gave up the game’s first 15 points and spent the rest of the night playing catch-up in what was ultimately an eight-point loss. The Mustangs got off to a better start this time, leading 12-11 early in the second quarter, but they surrendered a 10-0 run and trailed 18-30 at the half.
Then, after facing their largest deficit of the game, Chris Carrico’s group put together a late push to claw within six after three quarters. They made it a one-possession game on multiple occasions in the fourth, including at the very end, when a series of offensive rebounds gave them several three-point opportunities.
However, the Hawks stole the ball on an inbounds play with about 15 seconds remaining, and the ensuing pair of free throws iced it. It’s a heartbreaking way to end Meridian’s season, to say the least.
“Obviously, they’re a tough matchup for us,” Carrico said postgame. “It’s tough to go 19-3 and lose to the same team all three times. But these girls never quit.”
Carrico cited Meridian’s turnovers and rebounding struggles as the primary catalysts for the loss, as well as an inability to string together enough defensive stops. Still, there’s no shortage of positives to take away from the Mustangs’ season, and with only one starter set to graduate, next year should be even better.
Bridget Creed led Meridian in scoring with 14, while Rose Weatherly (12) and Charlotte Lieu (11) also entered double figures. The All-District teams are set to be announced later this week, and the Mustangs should be well-represented.
All in all, another proud season is in the books in Falls Church. Sometimes, you just run into a team that has you figured out.
