The boys varsity basketball team triumphed 62-34 over the Wellesley Raiders on senior night, which was held in the Schluntz Gymnasium on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
The Warriors starting lineup consisted of only seniors, and they got off to a strong start, with senior Alan Shi winning the tip-off. Despite the strong start, the Raiders opened the scoring with a three-pointer.
However, this was one of only two shots the Raiders made the entire first quarter, as the Warriors quickly responded with a barrage of points. With strong defense and high energy, the Warriors closed out the first quarter with a 14-6 lead.
Shi said that the strong start, fueled by quick transitions from defense to offense was pivotal to the team’s victory.
“The key to winning [was] starting the game off with great energy and turning defense into offense,” Shi said.
Heading into the second quarter, the Warriors kept the same lineup it didn’t take long for senior and captain Akito Ono to receive a pass from Shi and sink a three-pointer. The Raiders struggled to find their rhythm, with multiple attempts from beyond the arc falling short.
As the quarter progressed, sophomore Caleb Haynes entered the game and immediately made his presence known with relentless effort and high energy on defense. Late in the quarter, Haynes blocked a shot and quickly sent the ball to Shi, who threw down the first dunk of the game, bringing the crowd to their feet.
As the first half of the game wrapped up and the third quarter commenced, the Warriors faced a brief challenge, missing two free throws and a few key shots. However, Haynes quickly shifted the momentum, rising to block a crucial attempt from the Raiders.
Soon after, sophomore Cole Horowitz quickly scored his first points of the game off the three-point line. This was followed by a series of successful layups from the Warriors.
“Defense was the key to winning today,” Haynes said. “We had a lot of steals that we scored off. We were just playing a lot of defense and that’s what it was.”
The final quarter of the game opened with the same full-senior lineup, just as determined to extend their lead. Early in the quarter, Shi dominated the court. He threw down two consecutive dunks against the Raiders, riling up the Warriors’ passionate fans.
When senior Zachary Fung entered the game, energy reached an all-time high. Lined up on the bleachers were many seniors chanting and cheering him and the team on. Fung said this was helpful to his performance, as he scored twice bringing the Warriors up four points.
“It definitely made me want to play better because my friends never come watch me play and then they watched me play today,” Fung said.
The game ended with a win for the Warriors, 62-34, and according to Fung, it was an incredibly memorable night for the team’s seniors as they concluded their final season here.
“It was really fun to win,” Fung said. “Especially on senior night with the other seniors I’ve been playing with for two years, it was awesome.”
