The Phoenix Freeze at the Hands of the Vikings

On Dec. 9, the Phoenix girls and boys varsity basketball teams faced the Loudoun Valley Vikings, ultimately resulting in both teams losing. Prior to the game, SCA also hosted the second annual Frost Fest winter tailgate.

From+warm+festive+fires+outside+to+nail-biting+moments+at+both+basketball+games%2C+students+were+able+to+celebrate+the+upcoming+break+with+friends+and+support+both+teams+as+they+attempted+to+add+another+win+to+their+record.

Shivu Sathe and Sebastian Penagos

From warm festive fires outside to nail-biting moments at both basketball games, students were able to celebrate the upcoming break with friends and support both teams as they attempted to add another win to their record.

Frost Fest

On Friday, Dec. 9, SCA organized Frost Fest, the annual SCA winter themed tailgate filled with a festive night of food, bonfires, and movies for students to enjoy before the basketball doubleheader. 

SCA chose “Frozen” as this year’s winter film, and students gathered on the grass beside the bus loop to enjoy the movie with hot cocoa, s’mores, and a bonfire to keep them warm. 

Frost Fest was held from 5 to 7 p.m., before the girls and boys varsity basketball games started in the main gym.

Double Header

On Dec. 9, the Phoenix girls and boys basketball teams played in a joint double header against the Loudoun Valley Vikings. Girls varsity played hard, but ended up falling behind and losing 50-13. Boys varsity started out strong, but were ultimately unable to keep their lead, losing 56-52.

The evening started with the girls varsity team competing against the Vikings. Right at the beginning, the Vikings landed important shots that allowed them to secure a solid lead in the first quarter, 15-5. In the second quarter, this trend continued with the Phoenix trailing behind 25-7. Despite a good hustle from the Phoenix, they were unable to pull ahead in the last two quarters, resulting in a final score of 50-13. 

“Even though we lost, I feel like we still put effort into it,” junior Cora Bowen said. “We could’ve scored more points, I was a little upset, but I still think we tried our best.”

Before the game, junior Daniel Okoye was optimistic about his team’s chances of winning and attributed this confidence to his team’s strengths. “Our biggest strength is probably our communication and our hustle,” Okoye said. “But we can always do better.”

The boys varsity team started out strong, with sophomore Mekhi Motilewa scoring the first points for his team. However, the Vikings managed to pull through by the end of the first quarter, leaving the Phoenix trailing closely behind 14-12. 

The Phoenix and Vikings played hard, made great shots, and communicated well to get to matching scores of 20 to 20 by halftime. In the third quarter, however, the Phoenix rallied their players and managed to take the lead 35-34. 

The fourth quarter was very close, as both teams constantly gained and lost their leads. With four minutes left in the game, the Phoenix led by two points, 45-43. However, in the last moments of the game, the Vikings were able to secure their lead by making a few critical free throws, resulting in a Vikings win 56-52.