On Monday, Dec. 16, The Phoenix boys varsity basketball team played the Unity Reed Lions in a tight, 59-56 win.
The game had a slow start, with both teams focusing their efforts on strong defense. Sophomore Filippo Gomes led the first quarter with two three-pointers for the Phoenix, but despite the effort, they were still down three points at the end of the quarter with a score of 15-12 in favor of the Lions.
The Phoenix kicked up their offense considerably in the second quarter, scoring twenty points to pull ahead of the Lions and set the tone for the rest of the game. Senior Lorenz Penn dominated the quarter with two layups and a three-pointer to help put the score 32-23 Phoenix at the end of the second. “The young guys, they’re stepping up too, [and] we’re getting deeper rotation, but [William Beck and] Sid are leading us through, which is good,” senior Akash Kulkarni said.
In the second half of the game, the race between the Lions and Phoenix became neck-and-neck as the Lions regained their footing. Both teams vied for the lead, but the Phoenix persisted by scoring 14 points to end the third quarter in an extremely close 46-45 lead.
The final quarter was the most contested, with each team fighting tooth-and-nail to the finish line. “I was a little nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” Kulkarni said. “But just staying confident, making good passes, and listening to [Coach] Geyer [got us through].” In the end, the Phoenix utilized their drawn fouls, free throws, and timeouts to their advantage, allowing their defense to shut down the Lions’ buzzer-beater attempts. The game ended in a well-earned 59-56 win for the Phoenix. “It’s good to get the win obviously, but we still gotta work on some things, we still gotta work on some defense, but we’re headed in the right direction,” senior William Beck said. “Without Mekhi, it’s gonna be rough but I think once we get it together we’ll be good.”
After the game, the team awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) belt to the player who worked diligently on and off the court: senior William Beck. He got the award for his team leadership and playmaking throughout the game, but also his sportsmanship and team-player attitude that drives the team. “It feels good, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Beck said.