On Tuesday, the boy’s basketball team defeated the Palma Chieftains in the first home game of the season, with a final score of 64-40.
The Bears started off strong in the first quarter. Senior shooting guard Justin Moore had a spectacular night from the start, earning the Bears their first four points. Palma trailed shortly behind, scoring a three, bringing the score to 4-3. However, senior point guard Jonah Missan proved to be a cornerstone for the Bears’ offense, scoring a layup and subsequent assist to Moore to jumpstart the Bears’ dominant game.
Senior power forward David Baron had consecutive steals, also boasting three layups in the first quarter. Missan attributed the dominant first quarter to the Bears’ phenomenal teamwork, saying, “The camaraderie on the court is truly a pace-setter. We all play as a cohesive unit, which is something we will continue to work on and hopefully perfect throughout the season.” After a buzzer-beater shot by Palma, the first quarter wrapped up with a score of 19-11.
The second quarter began with a three from Moore, bringing the score to 22-11. With shots from Baron and layups from junior small forward Dominic Auer, the Bears only extended their lead. Plays between junior Trevor Cadigan and Moore set the team’s pace for the rest of the game, proving too quick for Palma’s defense.
Missan then secured two consecutive rebounds that led into another M-A score, expanding their lead to 12 points. Not long after, sophomore guard Jacob Sutton spotted an opening for senior forward Jack Anderson, who dunked the ball on Palma’s center after cutting from an empty corner to the hoop. With the gym already abuzz with spirit from the crowd, Baron slammed the ball into the basket after stealing a cross-court pass. The Bears concluded a dominant first half with a score of 36-19.
The third quarter was uncharacteristically slow, with the Bears earning a total of ten points and the Chieftains, nine. Palma scored the first point, however consecutive steals by Baron, Sutton, and Anderson overwhelmed the Chieftains’ offense. A coast-to-coast layup by Baron ended the quarter with a score of 46-28, still in favor of M-A.
Palma started the fourth quarter off strong, catching a second wind. Baskets on three consecutive possessions for the Chieftains left the Bears’ overwhelmed. An M-A timeout halfway through the quarter was a much needed momentum-changer for the Bears, whose defense only allowed Palma two points the rest of the night. With three more threes from Moore and his third dunk of the night with 30 seconds left on the clock, the Bears finished off the game 64-40.
When reflecting on the game, Moore said, “I think we did a great job being aggressive on offense. The electricity in the gym definitely helped the team’s performance tonight, and it was really nice to see everyone supporting.”
