VIDEO: Madrid girls stun Orient-Macksburg with thrilling last-second shot

Orient-Macksburg school will close after 2024-25 year

The Madrid girls basketball team scored a win in regional play Thursday night. / Allison Ullmann/The Perry Chief / USA TODAY NETWORK

The thrill of victory was only magnified by the agony of defeat on Thursday night.

The Madrid girls basketball team used a Samantha Springer shot from beyond the half-court line to defeat Orient-Macksburg in regional action, 41-38. 

I’ve NEVER seen a buzzer beater like this. Why? @MadridTigers Samantha Springer hits a 3/4 court 3 to beat Orient-Macksburg 41-38 in the playoffs. That’s the last game ever for O/M which is closing due to low #s after being open since 1921. A century of sports ends in heartbreak. pic.twitter.com/XpH6EyCBwo

— Scott Reister (@scottreister) February 14, 2025

While the loss meant the end of the season for Orient-Macksburg, it actually held an even bigger final.

The school will close after the current year comes to a close, signifying the final time a girl will wear the team colors for the time being. Orient-Macksburg opened in 1921, but the school district voted to dissolve in June 2024. 

For the southwest Iowa school, this marks the first district-wide closure in Iowa in over a decade. The decision was made based on low enrollment, staffing issues and financial difficulties.

Madrid, meanwhile, advances to face Lynnville-Sully next week.