Foxcroft School’s new state-of-the art, $14 million dollar gymnasium opened for business Thursday (Feb. 18) and the home team nearly hit the lottery.

Playing a Delaney Athletic Conference basketball opponent it had lost to, 51-29, last month, Foxcroft (1-8) treated its fans -- including Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer, after whom the gym is named -- to an exciting, nail-biting inaugural contest that kept the crowd on its feet for the entire fourth quarter. Fredericksburg Christian School (7-3) emerged with a 39-35 victory but the visitors no doubt breathed several sighs of relief during their 90-minute bus trip home.

“The girls were overwhelmed by it all,” Foxcroft Coach Rachel Hollis said about christening the new gym, in which they had practiced just one time, “but it was special and they played their hearts out for the School.”

In their previous meeting, FCS’s quick guards ran Foxcroft out of the gym, but the Eagles’ fast break never got rolling for much of Thursday’s game because Foxcroft’s tenacious defense forced numerous turnovers and resulted in several steals. Foxcroft guard Ashton '10 led the defense by holding FCS’s leading scorer, Kelsey, to 11 points. Kelsey had torched Foxcroft for 23 points when the teams met on January 21.

Foxcroft built an 11-4 lead after the first quarter and, led by senior center Annabelle’s 10 first-half points and took a 15-14 edge into the break. Foxcroft still led, 25-24, after three quarters but the players, who had practiced just once in the previous two weeks due to weather and lack of gym space, began to show signs of fatigue early in the fourth quarter. That’s when FCS’s fast break finally began to click and the Eagles took the lead for good with just over six minutes to play.

Foxcroft got within two points, 34-32, with 2:30 left on a putback by Terry Lynne '10 of a missed shot, but FCS scored the next two baskets to go up, 38-32 with 57 seconds remaining. Foxcroft junior Markesha hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three points with 45 seconds left. An FCS free throw with 18 seconds left iced the game for the visitors

The Mary Louise Leipheimer Gym, double box, will serve primarily as a practice facility once renovations are complete on the competition gym. The space, along with a state-of-the-art fitness and training area, student activities center (complete with kitchen, 55-inch flat screen TV and game room) dance studio, team rooms, running tack and climbing wall, will open later this year with the dedication scheduled for April 17.

Before the game, Leipheimer, who has led the School since 1989, was presented with an miniature basketball autographed by the team. To the Foxcroft players, the gym was a welcome relief from the grueling experience of holding every practice and game off campus.

“We had been on the road so long that it was wonderful to be able to just walk to the gym and not have to pile into a bus to play another away game,” Marshall said.