Our Mustang Junior Varsity Boys Basketball team endured a tough loss against Saint Mary’s International School (SMIS) on Friday, January 24th, as the game ended in favor of SMIS 48-47. The game included a dramatic shift, a high-pressure ending, and missed opportunities in the last seconds.
ASIJ started the game in control, leading 14-13 after the first quarter and 28-17 by halftime. The reasons for this early lead were the team’s defensive rotation and consistent scoring inside the paint, or the three-point line. By midway through the third quarter, ASIJ held a 39-22 point lead and seemed poised for a comfortable victory.
After ASIJ’s critical decision early in the third quarter to rest the starter players, SMIS capitalized on costly ASIJ turnovers to decrease the gap to 45-32 as the game approached its end. In the final quarter, SMIS’s relentless defensive pressure stalled out the ASIJ offense. SMIS fought back to tie the game 47-47 with less than a minute left.
With 20 seconds remaining, a blocking foul on ASIJ gave SMIS’s #15 a chance to break ASIJ’s lead with a free throw, and he scored. In the final seconds, ASIJ had a chance to get back in the lead when #15 Dylan Cha was fouled. However, under significant pressure, he missed the free throws and SMIS secured the win.
Nevertheless, Dylan Cha had played a crucial role in ASIJ’s early success, contributing three 3-pointers. His wide-range shooting proved to be a unique and coveted skill for his team this game.
Team captain Kyle Durkee expressed frustration with the team saying, “I feel we let ourselves go in the third quarter and had too much of a winning mentality.” Anderson Lee added, “We could have and should have pushed harder, even if we were in a 13-point lead.”
Despite the loss, the game showcased the potential ASIJ has for the future. If this team can develop focus at moments of pressure and tighten up their zone defense, there is a promising future ahead of them. Continued practice off-season will go a long way in having the JV Boys learn from their mistakes and get many of the sophomore players ready to step up to Varsity next year.
