After winning six out of seven of their previous games, with the most recent victory over the Manassas Park Cougars, the Phoenix boys basketball team took on the Seton Conquistadors on Saturday, Dec. 16. As the ball was tipped off, the two teams battled to the last buzzer, with the Phoenix ultimately falling to the Conquistadors with a close final score of 63-61. 

Starting off the first quarter strong, the Phoenix kept up with the Conquistadors, continuously responding to their baskets with their own successful attempts. Despite this hustle, the Phoenix fell slightly short at the end of the first quarter, trailing their opponents 20-18. However, with a fresh seven minutes on the clock, the Phoenix returned to the court with a new energy, hoping to overcome the deficit. 

Leading the charge, senior shooting guard Kyle Desai and junior point guard Mekhi Motilewa put in the effort offensively to counter their opponents. After Motilewa dribbled the ball up the court, he passed it off to Desai who skillfully maneuvered his way around defenders to put up two major three-pointers, allowing the Phoenix to close their scoring gap with the Conquistadors. “[Putting points up] keeps us flowing and in a rhythm,” Desai said. “When you score bucket after bucket after bucket the energy flows more towards your side and you get momentum that helps throughout the whole game.” This momentum continued throughout the second quarter as the Phoenix matched each attempt by the Conquistadors to stay in the game. The other half of the “dynamic duo,” Motilewa strove to create space, making six points in the second quarter alone, leaving the Phoenix just trailing the Conquistadors 36-33 at the end of the first half. 

The Phoenix opened the second half strong, maintaining a small scoring gap with the Conquistadors. A skilled long-range player, junior shooting guard Akash Kulkarni stepped up and put up two three-pointers on the board in the third quarter, allowing the Phoenix to take a brief lead. “I think what we are doing well is communicating with each other both on and off the court,” Kulkarni said. “The bond we have this year as teammates and friends is like no other which is why I see lots of potential this year for us to make a very deep run.”  Another high-impact player in his own right, senior center Daniel Okoye created room and played with passion by keeping many offensive players from reaching the hoop all while having no personal fouls called against him. Once again concluding with only a three-point score difference, the Phoenix ended the third quarter down 50-47. 

Determined to close out the game with a win, the Phoenix entered the fourth quarter with a new spark. Motilewa stuck hard from the start as he scored eight points for the Phoenix throughout the quarter, eventually ending the game with a notable 22 points scored. Despite some unfortunate foul calls against the Phoenix leading to free-throw opportunities for their opponents, the Phoenix scored six of nine free throws as a team, allowing them to bridge the gap. 

As the time on the scoreboard winded down, and the game became nearly out-of-reach for the Phoenix, junior shooting guard Will Beck launched a three-point shot from almost half-court with three seconds left on the clock to bring the Phoenix within a two-point score gap. Despite this “last-ditch effort” and drive from the Phoenix, as the only half-a-second of playing time left on the clock ran out, the Conquistadors claimed victory 63-61, concluding the second home game of the season.

“I [feel like] we should [have been] at a place where we should have beaten them by 10 rather than lose by two,” Okoye said. “Our chemistry as a team is unlike any I have had for a team before this. We just need to fix our mistakes and turnovers.”

Gallery • 9 Photos

Shaila Patel

Finding an open look, junior shooting guard Will Beck prepares to shoot from behind the three point line.