The boys basketball team lost in a nail-biter to crosstown rivals, the Sacred Heart Gators, 46-41 on Saturday afternoon.
The Bears hit the ground running in the first quarter, allowing them to build a fast 6-0 lead after a great backdoor cut from senior shooting guard Trevor Cadigan. Aggressive defense from the Bears kept the Gators’ offense at bay, but a clumsy foul on a three-pointer gave Sacred Heart their first three points of the game.
Despite great court facilitation from junior small forward Jerry Williams, the Bears struggled to keep up offensively against Sacred Heart’s strong defense. As the quarter came down to its last minutes, the Gators managed to creep their way back into the game, taking the lead after a three-pointer. M-A wasn’t able to make any other shots and ended the first quarter down 12-10.
The second quarter commenced with reciprocating blows from both teams. Every bucket on one end was responded to with a bucket on the other. Two back-to-back jumpers from Cadigan, followed by a free throw from Williams, put the Bears back on top at 20-19. With 1:46 left in the half, junior point guard Jacob Sutton knocked down two mid-range pull-ups and ended the half 24-21.
Starting back up after halftime, the Gators dominated the floor. After just three minutes, Sacred Heart went on a nine-point run and the Bears found themselves down 30-26. Backed into a corner, M-A was forced into taking a timeout with the hopes of slowing down the Gators. This along with immense energy from the stands helped breathe new life into the Bears.
Coming out of the timeout a succession of multiple steals from Cadigan and Sutton gave way for three fast-break buckets. This, paired with domination on the offensive rebounds from junior center Will Abdella, gave the Bears many second-chance opportunities and shifted the momentum in their favor. A layup from Williams with 45 seconds to go ultimately allowed them to steal back the lead, putting the score at 34-33, which held to finish out the quarter.
Tensions were high as both teams prepared to give it all they had in the last quarter. Despite the mounting pressure, M-A refused to back down. Williams expanded the lead to 39-33 after a quick bucket and three-pointer. The Gators remained relentless, scoring a layup and a three-pointer of their own, which cut the Bears lead back down to 39-38.
In the following few minutes, both teams began to struggle offensively, with the Bears having a tough time at the three-point line. The Gators were the first to break out of the dry spell with two buckets of their own, putting the score at 42-39 with 2:14 remaining. Sutton managed to respond and keep the Bears in the game with a jumper of his own, but the Gators swiftly returned the score.
“When it got to the end of the game we really just took our foot off the gas,” Abdella said.
With 1:15 left to go, the Bears still couldn’t find success on the three-point line. A Gators’ fast break layup soon ended the game with a final score of 46-41.
“I think we need to be a little more aggressive on the defensive end. But, I liked the intensity we brought in the beginning,” Williams said.
“As a team, we just need to keep this in our hearts, remember how we felt after this, and just bounce back with everything we have,” Abdella said.
The Bears will return to the court away against the Woodside Wildcats this Tuesday at 6 p.m.
