On Feb. 12, the JV boys’ basketball team faced the Cedar Ridge Raiders and lost 62-48.

The game started with the Raiders getting ahold of the ball and making their way to their side of the court. Anish Maddipoti ‘20 started the Warriors’ game strong by trying to make a basket, but was unfortunately prevented by the other team. Despite the Warriors’ strong communication, Cedar Ridge was still able to make baskets with a combination of fouls and aggression. Samer Salman ‘21’s consistent layups and Eric Kipper ‘21’s accurate free throws helped decrease the Raiders’ lead, ending the first quarter 19-12.

“My favorite part of the game was when I had an 11 in the first quarter,” Salman said. “A couple threes [and] a few twos made this last game good.”

Following the first quarter, the Warriors were ready to play even harder. After getting a feel for how the opponent played and much back and forth with the ball, they easily upped their score to 19-16. Maddipoti and Justin Chen ‘20 continued to maintain possession for most of the game, always figuring out how and when to pass to their teammates without getting the ball stolen. Robbie Jeng ‘21 made an impressive move, hitting the the basketball out of a Raider’s hand and getting control of it just as it was about to go out, helping the Warriors draw closer. The second quarter finished 36-27, with the team still finding places to improve.

“We had a good run in the first half, but then we lost it,” Jeng said. “I just think we need to work harder. We need to play better together and be more confident.”

In the third quarter, Luca Cipleu ‘21 was able to sink a few three-pointers, helping the Warriors try and catch up to the other team. The team was playing more aggressively than before, giving their all and fighting for possession. While being assertive on the court, they still managed to play strong defense, trying to prevent the Raiders from scoring and making free throws which helped rack up points. Despite this, the opposing team continued to build their lead, pulling away even more to end the quarter 46-38.

“As a team we could work on minimizing turnovers,” Vijay Kapistalam ‘21 said. “As an individual, I just feel like I could play stronger.”

The fourth quarter started with the team trailing the Raiders by eight points. The Warriors passed between each other well, and were good at catching the rebounds to use to their advantage. Glen Liu ‘21 managed to make an impressive basket by jumping high and snatching the ball when it came across the court, evading the players surrounding him. Maddipoti also shined by catching a rebound which in turn led to the Warriors getting points. The Raiders got even more violent, and the home team reciprocated, tussling for the ball and playing through the numerous fouls on both sides. Cipleu helped sink a few free throws, making the score 62-48. With 22 seconds left, the Raiders tried to make one last basket. Unfortunately for them, it was slapped away, but the game still ended with a loss on the Warriors’ side, effectively ending their season.

“It was the last game of the season, so just going out on a strong note and playing with intensity just made us better,” Justin Chen ‘20 said. “Maybe I could be more aggressive, but as a team I think we can work together better and that way we can win more games next year.”