Photo Credit: Bob Dahlberg
On Wednesday night, the Bears basketball season ended after losing to the De La Salle Spartans, 53-43 in the Norcal quarter-finals. Junior Skyler Thomas once again led the Bears with 19 points, but it ultimately was not enough to overcome the Spartans.
The game remained close throughout the first half with the two teams going back and forth. The Bears defense held strong and with the help of Thomas on the offensive end, it seemed like the Bears had a good chance to upset the sports powerhouse. “We were ready to play in the first half and came in with the mindset that we were going to win,” said junior guard Spencer Lin. Ultimately, the Bears trailed 21-20 at the half.
The Bears got off to a quick start after the half. The Bears locked down the Spartans on defense and scored quickly on the other end of the court. With the score 27-23, Skyler Thomas had combined for more than half of the 27 points. However, the Bears suffocating defense proved costly as early in the third quarter, senior guard Justin Anderson picked up his fourth foul, changing the momentum of the game. The Spartans struck quickly, going on a 21-0 run to seal the game. In a blink of the eye, the Bears were out of reach and down 44-27.
The Bears ended up winning the fourth quarter, but it was ultimately too little too late. In the Bears final game of the season, Skyler Thomas led the team with 19 with senior J.D. Carson added nine points of his own. The Bears ended up with a 23 and 5 record, going a perfect 12-0 in league play.
Reflecting on the game and season, senior guard Trevor Wargo said, “We left it all out on the court. Not every call went our way but I’m proud of how we competed for the whole game and especially of all we accomplished as a group this season.”
The Bears, led next year by Spencer Lin, Skyler Thomas, and Ricky Martin, hope to follow up this season with another successful season. “We had good leadership all year that helped get us this far, so we need to use that and bring that with us next year to replicate our success,” said junior Ricky Martin. Lin added on saying, “We just have to learn from our mistakes. Everyone will be coming for us next year. We have proven that we can play with these kinds of teams.”
