The De Anza College Dons failed to pull out all the stops during their game against the Gavilan Rams on Friday, Feb. 2.

Despite their strong display of effort, the Dons were unable to come out on top, and lost 73-65.

The Rams came in hot in the first quarter, with guard Madeline Cox hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to power Gavilan to a sizable early lead.

As the ball juggled between both ends of the court, a substitution between Dons guard Doryn Gomez and forward Tabitha Simpkins showed promise, as the Lady Dons narrowed the scoring gap.

By the third period, a few aggressive plays from guards Rilizza Isla and Jonai Stanfield led to a few 3-pointers and a glimmer of hope for the Lady Dons.

After the third period, guard Ashley Marquez of the Dons scored two 3-pointers in a row — paving way for a potential win for De Anza by a 5-point margin.

A “make-it or break-it” moment for De Anza, the Dons fought hard in the final period to win the game and their exertion was apparent on the court.

A definitive 3-pointer by Gomez in the last 20 seconds of the game was executed as if it could have been the saving grace the Dons needed, but it was ultimately too late.

The Dons have had a rough season thus far, winning just one game of the 20 played this season.

Isla led the Dons with 19 points, matching Cox’s 17 points for the Rams.

She thought the Dons have become “more cohesive” as a team as the season has progressed.

“We did a lot better this game in comparison to how we’ve been doing all season, even though we lost,” Isla said. “We were more mentally aware, and had our head in the game.”

The Dons have three remaining games this season, with the next coming against the Foothill College Owls, De Anza’s sister school, on Wednesday, Feb. 7.

With continued diligence, the Dons look to finish the season str no matter the outcome.