Boys basketball continues to find success in wins over St. Anthony and Highland

Grace Coleman

During winter break, the boys basketball team beat St. Anthony High School 49-40 and Highland High School 72-26, furthering its record to 13-1. Guard Brady Dunlap ’23 said the team had to come together in order to win its match against St. Anthony on Dec. 18.

“The energy we came out with was flat; our shots [were] not falling,” Dunlap said “We had to dig deep in order to win the game. Although it wasn’t our best performance, the way we gutted it out made us a better team.”

The match against St. Anthony marked the team’s second time being down at the half so far this season, with the team losing the first half 20-18. Guard Nikolas Khamenia ’25 said the team’s defensive strength in the second half helped it reach its victory. 

“It was rare for us as a team to be down at half-time,” Khamenia said.  “However, by the second half, defensive stops grew easier and we felt as though the game was in our hands.”

In the team’s match against Highland High School on Dec. 21, despite missing starting forward Jacob Huggins ’23, the team outscored the opposing team by almost 50 points. Wing Christian Horry ’24 said he thinks the squad’s ability to adapt to any opponent, regardless of the circumstances of the game, is one of its strengths.

“I believe that because our team is able to come together when needed and win in crucial moments, that’s what makes us great,” Horry said. 

Wing Santiago Hernandez said he felt that the team’s high energy allowed for success with scoring consistently throughout the halves with no mishaps.

“Our energy on the defensive side led to easy points in the first half,” Hernandez said. “We took advantage of mismatches and kept attacking the whole game. In the second half, we made the extra pass with no hesitation and got everyone on the team involved.”

Boys basketball looks to continue its three game win streak and further its 13-1 record in its match against Grant High School Jan. 5. The team starts its Mission League season with a home game against Notre Dame High School Jan. 7.