The JV boys’ basketball team took on the McNeil Mavericks on Friday, Jan. 25, winning 57-37 after a very successful game for the Warriors.

The game started with a foul by the Warriors, but they bounced back with Eric Kipper ‘21 scoring the first two-pointer of the game. Determined to keep McNeil from scoring, Luca Cipleu ‘21 was able to get the ball from the far side of the court to the Warriors’ side to score a three-pointer. The team scored more two-pointers, but the Mavericks got their first point from a free throw. The first quarter finished with the Warriors maintaining a clear lead of 16-1.

“At first we were a bit nervous because in the first game against them we hadn’t played as well,” Lucian Tripon ‘21 said.“But today we played really well together. Our passes were good, and we were making our shots. It went much better than the first game.”

The Mavericks, desperate to even the score, got two three-pointers to start off the second quarter. They also scored two points from free throws, but the Warriors scored retaliated with multiple two-pointers over the next two quarters. Quinn Farquharson ‘20 came onto the court and scored a two-pointer of his own, but the Mavericks fought back with a three-pointer. At the end of the quarter, the Warriors kept their lead 45-22.

“The game was good,” Robbie Jeng ‘21 said. “We got in the lead quickly so we had room for mistakes during the rest of the game.”

McNeil, working hard to raise their score, started the last quarter with three back-to-back three-pointers. Jeng and Blane Holschuh ‘21 refused to let their team be bested and scored a two-pointer each. Despite multiple free throws and two-pointers from the Mavericks, the Warriors won 57-37.

The team will take on the Vandegrift Vipers next on Friday, Feb. 1 at Vandegrift High School.