The freshman orange basketball team competed with the Round Rock Dragons on Jan. 19. The team played with strength and perseverance, but could not keep up to the Dragons, losing 29-48 in the end. Even though the team lost its game, the boys played well, proving their great teamwork throughout the game by fighting to the very end.

At the start of the game, the freshmen began by playing strong defense, stealing the ball numerous times that allowed them to score on fast breaks. Luke Durham ‘19 led the defense and made it difficult for the Dragons to score. On the offensive side, the team’s ball movement led to successful drives where they either scored or drew fouls. Patrick Sladek ‘19 scored a three, and Corey Levinson ‘19 was able to penetrate the Dragon defense on multiple occasions. Although the team lost control of the ball at some points, they had a strong half, balanced on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

“I feel like we played with a really strong defense, but we can still improve on all areas of the game,” Durham said.

After a quick halftime break, the team went back into the game refreshed. Zach Shrull ‘19 stole the ball, scoring on the following fastbreak and getting the team pumped, and Karthik Shetty ‘19 played an aggressive offense. However, even with the team’s steals and fast breaks, the Dragons were able to push ahead to take the win.

“We definitely could have improved our passing this game,” Shetty said. “In our next game, we really need to have more hustle and effort in the game.”

The team had played a strong game against the Dragons. Although they had lost in the end, the team had played well on offense and defense and have plenty of room to improve in the future.