Despite valiant effort, the freshman boys B basketball team fell to the Stony Point Tigers on Friday, Jan. 9. The teams fought intensely for the win, with the Tigers ultimately pulling ahead and taking home the victory 43-33.

Launching into the first quarter, Stony Point immediately took the lead from the jump ball and scored two baskets – but that only fuelled Westwood’s determination to take back the momentum. Strong defense and quick movement from Noah Hwang ‘29 and Benjamin Adler ‘29 blocked the Tigers from stealing any more points, but the Warriors still faced difficulties with communication and weak ball handling. The first quarter ended with Westwood only three points behind Stony Point and a score of 9-6.

“My defense was good and we were out there getting steals,” Robert Castaneda ‘29 said. “[I was doing good] on providing buckets for the team.” 

Westwood took early possession in the second quarter, with Hwang instantly making a layup and giving his team the lead. The Tigers attempted to close the point gap, but Westwood continued to pull ahead with tightened defense and aggressive offense. The Warriors increasingly focused on aggression, with Adler leading the ball movement. Rehaan Iqbal ‘29 scored a layup, allowing Westwood to gain the first lead of the game. Intensity from Stony Point resulted in fouls, giving Westwood free throws that only widened the point gap. The second quarter closed with the Warriors ahead 19-14.

“During the game, I think I did pretty good breaking their press,” Iqbal ‘29 said. “I [try to] keep calm and focus on my warm up [to keep myself motivated and focused] and have energy off the court.”

Eager to keep hold of their lead, Westwood went into the third quarter by quickly making three back-to-back buckets. Honing in their defense, Stony Point’s hustle prevented the Warriors from shifting the momentum more in their favor and quickly caught up. However, Westwood refused to back down and replied by making another layup from Hwang. The Tigers’ court awareness sharpened and refused to let the Warriors keep stealing the ball. This disrupted Westwood’s once-fiery confidence, and Stony Point took the chance to steal the lead. The Warriors continued to fumble buckets, ending the quarter at a close score of 30-29 in the Tigers’ favor. 

“[During the game] I was thinking about going out there and hustling,” Castaneda said, “because that’s what it comes down to. Whoever puts more hustles is who’s going to get the win.” 

After learning from communication errors from the previous quarter, Westwood started off the fourth quarter with strong spacing, allowing them to gain ground and pass the ball with ease. With victory on the line, both teams jetted out with determination fueled by the roaring crowd. Despite the Warriors’ sharpened defense, they continued to fumble bucket opportunities, allowing Stony Point to pull ahead. Multiple missed layups proved fatal to Westwood, and their aggression led to multiple fouls, giving Stony Point chances to stack seven points from the line and take home the victory 43-33. 

“[When my team is going through a rough moment] I try to tell him to keep their head up even when they’re down,” Iqbal said, “and get back on defense. [Since the season has started] we’ve grown as a team for sure. It’s always fun in the locker room, especially pre-game, and we’re just working together as we move on.”

The Warriors return to the home court on Friday, Jan. 16 against the Vista Ridge Rangers.