Boys' Basketball Buries Tabor
Senior and co-captain Lucas Grandison catches a pass from senior Declan Porter on the left wing, facing tight pressure from the Tabor defender in front of him. He quickly throws up a jump-shot. A moment later, the crowd watches the ball fall perfectly into the basket, not even close to the rim. Two more three pointers, sunk by Grandison, bring Big Red to an early lead over the Seawolves.
After finishing the first half 37-13, Boys’ Basketball cruised to a 64-30 victory, taking down Tabor Academy on Saturday afternoon. The game brought the team back to its classic winning ways, solidifying a current record of 12-3.
On the Wednesday before Tabor, the team suffered a nail biting loss to St. Pauls with a score of 56-54. The team came to practice Thursday ready to work hard and get back on the winning streak. “We wanted to compete like we did at the beginning of the year and had to work on the weak side and transition defense,” lower Josh Morissette said. The improvement showed in the game against Tabor, as Big Red controlled countless rebounds and transitioned seamlessly throughout the game.
Highlights of the game included Senior Kaleb Washington’s effortless putback dunk after a missed layup. “I think that play mentality defined our approach coming into the game,” Grandison commented. Throughout the game, the team did not let setbacks deter their progress.
“Our focus in February is to commit to process over results. I was pleased with our resilient, selfless approach we took as a team. It showed in our competitive and focused approach,” coach Jay Tilton said.
The overall aggressiveness of the team stood out, and upper Robbie Stankard contributed to this style. “Robbie has also elevated his game and has really improved, becoming more of a complete player,” Tilton said.
Every player who stepped out onto the court pushed themselves to be the best they could, fighting for the team. Tilton described that “several players had a great week of practice and remained in the middle throughout the game.”
The energy of the gym was similarly astronomical as the Big Red crowd roared to life watching all 14 players on the court. “[Upper] Lucas McEachern gave us big life off the bench,” Morissette said.
Lower Eli Porras agreed. “Throughout the game, we kept high energy, supported each other, and maintained our environment,” he said. “We needed to clear our minds from the last game, and we focused on keeping a lot of energy, support for each other, and using what we worked on in practice.
McEachern noted that energy comes from trust and connection. “It doesn’t matter what the gym is like, we create our own atmosphere,” he said. Certainly, this support contributed to the team. By the end of the game, thanks to the hard work on and off the court.
Big Red Basketball “got our swagger back,” as senior Jasper Ludington put it.
The story will continue as the team faces Deerfield on Saturday, a match that will test the team’s strength and teamwork. “I go into every game believing we are going to win, so I don't expect this game to be any different,” Grandison said.