The varsity boys’ basketball team was unable to defeat Stony Point on Tuesday, Jan. 8, with a close score of 55-54. This was a crushing defeat for the Warriors, especially since the majority of the game was in their favor.

Stony Point began the first quarter with maximum intensity, which led to a foul early on. It was because of this foul that Brandon Parks ‘20 was able to score a free throw. This one point lead lasted for a while, and would serve as cruel irony for the game’s conclusion. Strong defense from the Warriors resulted in a three-pointer from Christian Robinson ‘20. The Tigers finally scored a two-pointer, followed by a three-pointer. The Warriors didn’t let up however, and managed to rack up even more points with a two-pointer from Corey Levinson ‘19 and another free throw from Parks. A three-pointer from Stony Point was countered a three-pointer from Luke Durham ‘19 with thunderous applause. Stony Point then retaliated with two back-to-back two-pointers and two more successful free throws. The quarter ended on a negative note for the Warriors after Levinson suffered a nasty fall while Stony Point scored yet another three-pointer, wrapping up with a score of 19-13, with the Tigers in the lead.

The second quarter opened up with a two-pointer from Patrick Sladek ‘19, followed by a three-pointer from Robinson. The score was almost tied up, but this ended quickly with a three-pointer from Stony Point. A quick free throw from Ethan Brown ‘19 still wasn’t enough to catch up, as the Tigers made another three-pointer, creating a great distance between the teams’ scores. Hope began to come back however, when Parks scored more free throws and Demetrius Jones ‘19 scored a two-pointer. The Tigers scored yet another three-pointer, but the Warriors were in the zone now, with Jones shooting more free throws and Parks shooting a two-pointer. Parks teamed up with Sladek to shoot a two-pointer, and Sladek would go on to score a three-pointer and a free throw, proving to be the most valuable player of this quarter. A two-pointer from the Tigers and two free throws from Robinson would end the first half of the game with a score of 34-30 in the Warriors’ favor.

“We had a great first half. Then in the third quarter, we had a potential to pull away but we still left them in the game, so it came back to hurt us,” Robinson said.

After a quick halftime performance by the Breakdance Club, the third quarter began with two-pointers from both teams. A free throw and a couple two-pointers from Stony Point placed them in the lead, but the Warriors were quick to come back with two-pointers from Brown, Robinson, and Parks. Sladek and Parks teamed up once again to score a three-pointer, and Heston Williams ‘19 shot a two-pointer. The Warriors held a rather large lead, but this diminished over time with two more two-pointers from the Tigers and a foul against Jones that enraged the audience. While it seemed as if Brown was about to make a solid throw after retrieving a rebound, time ran out, ending the third quarter with a score of 47-43, still with the Warriors in the lead.

“It started pretty well. In the fourth quarter, they went on a 10-2 run and that’s what lost it for us,” Sladek said. “Personally, I didn’t shoot the ball very well and missed a couple free throws. We played as a good team and started pretty well. The challenging part was the fourth quarter because we were tired and they just made their shots and we didn’t.”

The fourth quarter proved to be the most intense one yet, with both teams scoring again and again, desperately trying to overcome each other. Parks scored a two-pointer, which Stony Point responded to with a two-pointer of their own. Sladek scored a three-pointer, and Stony Point responded to once again with a two-pointer and two free throws. The score became very close at this point, and a free throw from Parks pushed the Warriors further into the lead. However, the score became tied up with a two-pointer from Stony Point. The pressure was on for the Warriors as time was running out to gain the lead once more. They managed to gain a one point lead with another free throw from Parks, and played relentless defense to try and keep it that way. The majority of the entire game’s timeout calls were made during the last five minutes, some as a way to end the play and prevent the opponent from scoring. With less than 20 seconds on the clock, however, the Tigers scored a two-pointer, placing them just one point in the lead. The Warriors desperately tried to take the lead once more, but with just five seconds left on the clock, it was hopeless. Thus, the game ended in defeat for the Warriors with a final score of 55-54.

“The most challenging part of the game were the free throws that we couldn’t make,” Parks said. “We were 14 for 22 but if we got 20 to 22 then we would definitely have done better. The best part was my teammates and I having fun, and making three-pointers.”

The Warriors will face the Cedar Ridge Raiders on Friday, Jan. 11 away from home.