Because of an injury suffered last week, Kristen Gaffney – Wake County’s all-time leading scorer among public schools – wasn’t on the court for the Falcons. She wasn’t even in the building because of her role in an altercation after that same game.

As the final seconds wound down, Falcons point guard Ashley Williams drew the defense to her and found an open forward Cassidey Sowards. But the shot was swatted away as Hope Mills South View’s Cinyere Bell recovered quickly.

Three seconds later, time expired, and Green Hope’s season was done with a 39-38 loss in the 4A East semifinals.

“They stopped her from driving and she gave the ball up in front of the basket,” said Green Hope coach Michael Robinson. “We had what we wanted, and that’s basketball. It just happens.”

It was the second time in three years the Falcons (28-3) had reached the regionals, the first since reaching the 4A state title game in 2010.

The game started off with the Tigers (29-0) taking advantage of a Green Hope team playing its first full game without the nearly 28 points per game that Gaffney was averaging in her senior season.

South View led 9-0 off the bat, but a four-point play from Sowards and a 3-pointer from Melissa Bridges cut into the lead quickly.

The Falcons were down just 19-14 at halftime, despite hitting 4-of-20 field goals and giving up eight offensive rebounds to the Tigers. A 2-3 match-up zone kept Green Hope in the game, as South View missed all five 3-pointers it took in the first two quarters.

“We usually play man-to-man, and we had to go zone. And it’s very hard to box out in a zone,” Robinson said.

The zone was one of a few tweaks Robinson had his team do to adjust to missing the Triangle's leading scorer and the team's top rebounder. The Falcons slowed down the pace of the game purposefully on both ends of the court.

"I don’t remember the last time we (scored) 30-something in a game," said Williams.

When Green Hope fell behind by seven with a little more than three minutes left, the Falcons went back to what they did best – pressuring the opponents’ ball-handlers. It was a strategy that Williams acknowledged that the team couldn’t have sustained over four quarters.

As the Falcons began to get stops in the fourth quarter, Williams came alive and Green Hope began scoring at a faster rate.

Williams scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half.

"I struggled early, but my teammates definitely stepped up," said

After Green Hope’s Sidney Durand fielded an offensive rebound and swished the putback jumper, South View tried to hold the ball for the game’s final 1:25. The play backfired though, as the Tigers were whistled for a backcourt violation with 41.8 seconds left.

Williams dribbled the clock down to 12.8 seconds remaining before calling another timeout to set up the final play. South View responded with a timeout before the Falcons

The Falcons inbounded to Bridges, who handed it off Williams. Sowards came open, but the Tigers swarmed in.

The Herculean short-handed effort was something Robinson said he had always known his team was capable of.

“I’m very proud of the girls. They fought hard,” Robinson said. “All year long, these girls have never given up. They’ve had the bulls-eye on their chest all year long.”

Green Hope ends a three-year run at 85-6 overall. Each of the last two seasons have ended with a late-round playoff loss the game after a Gaffney injury.