The Atoms finally faltered against the No. 9 ranked West Springfield Spartans on Jan. 13, ending their three-game win streak, which included wins over Robert E. Lee, West Potomac and rival W.T. Woodson.  The game ended with a final score of 59-36.

The loss came only two days after the Atoms won by one point thanks to the last-second heroics of junior Jackie Beathea. Beathea hit a free throw with three seconds left that put the Atoms up 36-35 and sealed the victory. Beathea scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds in the win.

“It was great beating Woodson. We win by one point every year and it was really relieving when I made the game winning free throw,” Beathea said.

Beathea continued her dominance against the Spartans, scoring 21 points. Her effort, however, was not enough.

A key aspect of the loss was the Atoms’ failure to produce offensively. Injuries also plagued the Atoms in the game, as starting center, junior Hailey Brown, was unable to play due to a concussion. This, along with the crushing defense of the Spartans, made it impossible for the Atoms to set up any kind of offense. Usual team leaders were unable to put up strong numbers against the swarming West Springfield defense.

“Their defense was really strong, and we couldn’t handle the pressure they were bringing which hurt us when we were trying to run our offense,” senior captain Kelly Hughes said.

“We did a good job in some areas and competed pretty well,” Head Coach Patrick Hughes said. “We were down with some injuries, but we hope to be a little better prepared [next time].”

The Atoms will have a chance to redeem themselves on Feb. 8, as they will face the Spartans again at home.

The Atoms’ next challenge will be at home against the Lake Braddock Bruins on Jan. 18.  For the complete schedule and roster, visit www.annandaleatoms.com, and for scores and results see http://wiki.allmetsports.com/all-met.