What a devastating end to a spectacular season. On Feb. 26, 2022, The boy’s basketball team lost in LA CIF Division II Championship, 46-61, to the Los Angeles CES Unicorns.
The game was closely contested during the first half of the game, with the score remaining tied going into halftime. However, the second half of the game is where the boys faltered. After a slow start to the third quarter, the boys struggled to catch up to their opponents. As a result of poor shot selection, the Wolves missed out on vital points by shooting unnecessary three-pointers. Coupled with a shooting slump from deep, the team’s lack of defense allowed the Unicorns to capitalize on the team’s loss of momentum win the game.
However, the team’s loss in the championship should not take away from the relatively successful team performance from the boys this season.
In the regular season, the Wolves ended their regular season with five straight wins, racking up a total of 17 wins this season in 24 games. The team went 7-2 when competing against teams in the league and placed second in Division 1. The boys placed one spot behind the Kennedy Cougars, who have gone 8-0 when playing in league.
Entering playoffs as the sixth seed team in the 2022 CIF LA City Section Boy’s Basketball Championship, the boys had a first-round bye. In their first playoff matchup against the Carson Colts, the Wolves outscored their opponents by 20 points, leading to a win of 80-60. In the quarterfinals, the team went on to beat the Legacy Tigers, 60-34, allowing the Wolves to advance to the Semifinals. The Wolves’ momentum carried over into the semifinals, coming out with a win by a narrow margin of five points.
As seen in the final quarters of the championship game, the Wolves’ biggest weakness the entire season has been their inconsistency. When the boys start off the game slow, they end up having to play even harder to not only catch up to their opponents, but make an additional effort to outscore them by the end of the second half. In their games against the Jordan Panthers, the boy’s failure to get things going in the first quarter of the game saw them try and keep up with their opponents. They inevitably lost that game 59-51. When the team plays with poise, making accurate passes and good shot selections, the team obliviated their opponents by double digits time and time again.
Regardless of the team’s championship loss, the boys have lots to be proud of. They overcame deficits and obliviated opponents that stood in their way to make it all the way to the LA CIF Championship round. Despite criticism and doubt about how the team would perform, the Wolves stood their ground and proved time and time again that nobody should underestimate the underdogs.
