Big fourth quarter gives Jaguars a victory
By Oscar Prudencio
The Cooperative junior varsity boys basketball team defeated International 32-25 with a strong finish at the International gym Friday.
The game started with both teams are pouring energy into the game, reaching for the ball, and pouncing at each other’s defenses, Many attempts made to score in the early minutes. However none was successful until the Jaguars finally scored, and then scored again, taking a 4-0 lead.
At this point the Griffins also seemed to find the range, and by the end of the first half it was clear that the game would be a true classic clash, with neither team seeming to let their guard down for even a second, and the score tied 13-13.
As the second set starts, you could really see how fired up these boys really were, with the teams in a back-and-forth pattern. As soon as one scored, the other one would score right back. Griffin Jaime Barrenechea proved that his nimble size and speed can make him a very dangerous factor to which other teams should watch out for. The score at the end of the third period was still tied, 18-18.
The fourth period started with another exchange of baskets, but the Griffins couldn’t keep the Jaguars contained. The SCCS boys skillfully managed to evade all defense set by the SCIS team, scoring one after the other, being interrupted only a by a three-point play by Christian Suarez, and a final basket by Alfonso Justiniano that was too little, too late and the final score reached 32-25.
Twelve of the fourteen points recorded by the Jaguars in its fourth quarter surge were by eighth grader Eduardo Ustarez.: Cooperative played the game with no substitutes
Both teams earned their cheers, and each celebrated as much as the other, both proud. The players finished the game by shaking each other’s hand in a gesture of maturity, and the day was done.Stories to come
(Oscar Prudencio is a junior at International and managing editor of the website for that school.)
Eagles unhorsed by fearless Knights
By Jose Aldana
The Cambridge junior varsity boys basketball team was able to win a close, pivotal league clash against Christian Learning at Christian Learning Friday by a score of 26-21, displaying an eximious blend of effective defensive pressure and first-class shooting accuracy.
In the first quarter, the Knights were held to a three-point lead, 10-7. Unintimidated by the Eagles' vibrant cheering, the Knights adopted a smothering defense impeding effective handling of the ball by the Eagles' guards and enabling the quick recovery of the ball by the Kniughts, opening their path to the first points on the match.
The Eagles tried hard to balance the action and managed to pass over the Knights' "barricade," making a series of threats, but only a few were concretized into points. The efforts were mainly perpetrated by Abraham López, who sought to take advantage of his exalted height, and Luke Phillips.
However, at halftime the score was 17-12 in favor of the Knights.
The Knights came out in the third quarter displaying impressive motivation, and seeking to expand their advantage. By maintaining the smothering defense, Knights annulled Eagles' daring offensives. Speed and discipline marked the Knights' drives, which the Eagles were unable to neither control nor thwart .
Additionally, the Knight guards displayed prime shooting skills, including a couple of fantastic three-point baskets. At the end of the third quarter, the Knights had outscored their opponents by 23-14.
The fourth quarter was a totally different story as the Eagles, fueled by the encouragement from the electrifying home crowd and unwilling to "throw in the towel," undertook to overcome the deficit they were confronting.
The Knight's defensive system, which prevailed on the previous quarters, was gradually losing its efficiency as the Eagles gained momentum. Led by Phillips, who displayed amazing dribbling and shooting skills, the Eagles slowly ate into the Knight lead.
However, the Knights were fully aware they needed to hold off the fourth quarter comeback by the Eagles to preserve the victory; they never stopped working hard and their dedication finally paid off as the final buzzer sounded with Cambridge still ahead 26-21.
(Jose Aldana is a junior at Christian Learning.)
