Loss Of A Close Game
Regrettable Defeat
noun, verbal noun
Your team was about to win the game but you decided to be frugal with your shots near the end and it resulted in defeat, making it a loss of a close game. If you had just taken those shots your team probably would have won. What a regrettable defeat.
This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.
わが校は、惜敗でベスト8入りを逃しました。
Our school missed getting into the top eight by losing a close game.