Longtime rivals, Godwin and Freeman, met again on Friday night at Godwin High School.

Muffled by the roar of both student sections, the game began with Godwin winning the tip. It was all the momentum they needed to get a lead right away.

The first points of the game belonged to Godwin, via a three-pointer by sophomore Brett Buisson.

After several offensive rebounds and strong defensive stands, the Eagles built an early lead, but Freeman was able to strike a small comeback by the end of the first quarter.

The first quarter ended with a three point lead by the Eagles, with a score of 14-11.

When the second quarter began, both student sections were rowdy, but as the game progressed the Freeman side grew silent.

Godwin passed the ball around for over three minutes while Freeman refused to come out of their zone defense.

Then, Godwin senior Eric Engleman hit a three point buzzer beater, electrifying the student section, and putting the halftime score at 28-13.

“The team played very well in the first half. Through good defense we found a way to build a lead in the first half,” said Godwin sophomore forward Harry Trippeer.

At the start of the third quarter, it was clear which team held the momentum. Again, Godwin struck first by way of a layup by senior guard Delton Dunkum.

The third quarter was completely one-sided in favor of Godwin. They played impenetrable defense for the entire quarter and Freeman was only allowed to score two points.

Godwin’s offense could not be stopped as they piled onto their lead, making the score 38-15 at the end of the third quarter.

“The team was able to build the lead by playing great defense. Freeman scored only two points in the second and third quarter,” said Godwin Basketball Coach Hunter Thomas.

Another contributing factor to the Eagles’ lead was free throw percentage, with Godwin shooting 87.5 percent from the line.

When the fourth quarter started, it was like the winners had already been decided. The Freeman student section was silenced.

The margin had widened to 40-20 with six minutes remaining.

With about five minutes left in the game, Godwin freshman Dillon Thomas made a three-pointer as the Godwin students chanted, “This one’s over.”

They were right, and the final score was 47-30 in favor of Godwin, improving their record to 7-5.

“I’ll never forget the enthusiasm of the Godwin student section,” said Godwin freshman Dillon Thomas.

The team’s leading scorer was junior Ricky Lewis, with 13 total points, seven of which were free throws.

Godwin’s next game is Jan, 17 at Thomas Jefferson.

Hunter Thomas said, “We can improve by continuing to learn our roles on the team. We were very unselfish against Freeman and shared the ball extremely well. If we value our defense, then we will become a really good team.”