The boys basketball team fell to the Carlmont Scots 47-46 in a devastating battle on Friday night, marking their first loss in league play.
The Bears won the tip-off but immediately found themselves in offensive trouble with the Scots’ heavy defense. However, a steal and shot from senior shooting guard Trevor Cadigan put M-A’s first points on the board. Senior point guard Dominic Auer followed his lead, scoring off a rebound from junior small forward Jerry Williams, increasing their lead to 7-5 just four minutes into the game.
Multiple fouls from the Bears caused them to get aggressive on defense to prevent the Scots from catching up. Despite this, the Bears didn’t give up on offense. Another steal from Cadigan coupled with a wide layup from Dominic propelled the Bears forward 12-5 to end the first quarter.
Even as the Bears sought to increase their lead in the second quarter, the Scots managed to climb their way up. Junior power forward Aiden Atkins swiftly sunk the ball into the net on a putback, increasing M-A’s lead to 20-12 just 50 seconds later.
After multiple timeouts from both teams, the Scots had caught up with numerous three-pointers, leaving the Bears with a rocky one-point lead going into the second half, 20-19.
The third quarter began with M-A fighting relentlessly for the ball, resulting in numerous turnovers and back-and-forth plays. Two more three-pointers from Cadigan and Williams paired with a layup from junior shooting guard Luca Auer raised hopes for the Bears, but the Scots had a response for every point.
Both teams clambered up the scoreboard, matching point by point, breaking even at 32-32 with just a minute left. Within seconds, however, the Bears fell back on defense, allowing the Scots to score five more points and pull ahead 37-34 to end the quarter.
Going into the final quarter, the Bears were neck-and-neck with the Scots. Tensions rose as the Scots matched every point from the Bears: layups from junior center Will Abdella and free throws from Williams were immediately reciprocated by the Scots three-pointers. The Bears eventually pulled ahead to a 45-42 lead with just one minute left.
Focusing on maintaining their tight lead, the Bears dialed in on defense, attempting to prevent Carlmont from breaching their hold. Both teams took timeouts every 15 seconds, and the score crept its way up to 46-44 with the Bears just barely in the lead.
In the final five seconds, the Scots launched a desperate Hail Mary from the three-point line that miraculously found the net, allowing them to surge past the Bears by just one point. Now, with just two seconds remaining, the Bears attempted to reach the net from across the court but failed to sink the ball as the final buzzer sounded, ending the game with a 47-46 loss.
The Bears will travel to Daly City to battle the Jefferson Grizzlies on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
