On December 9th, Beardsley Gym held a special night for the Boys Basketball team, honoring five seniors: Elliot Pratt, Miles Ross, Tristen Wilcox, Desi Israelite, and Timi Ogunsanya.
The Kits started slowly, but improved as the game progressed. The Kits continued to dominate throughout the whole game, closing out the night with an 82-39 win. The Bulls were the first to score, but the Kits quickly responded. Israelite scored the Kit’s first points with a layup, quickly followed by steals from both Wilcox and Pratt. With a minute and a half left in the first quarter, the Kits went on an 11-0 run, forcing the Bulls to call a timeout.
“This is their last opportunity for their season, and to have the home opener in Beardsley and recognize the position they’re in as seniors on our team,” stated Head Coach Mike Ellis.
“We wanted to show our appreciation right away in the beginning, and hopefully the seniors, as well as everyone else on the team, continue to build and build and build,” he continued.
The Kits entered the second quarter with an 8-point lead, the score standing at 21-13. The second quarter was much like the first, full of steals, layups, and substitutions. With a minute left, Ben Ojala carried it down the court and passed it to Dion Lane, who finished on the three-point line. The Kits dominated and were able to pull away to finish the first half at 42-24.
“Just got off to a little slow start, but I think we picked up the intensity and seemed like as the game went on, we just played better,” mentions Coach Ellis.
The Kits started strong in the second half with a quick layup from Ogunsanya, and continued to keep control throughout. Late in the third quarter, Pratt and Wilcox put their chemistry to work, causing an amazing turnover. Following the double team, Ogunsanya got the ball and ran it down the court for an easy layup. The Kits continued to dominate going into the fourth quarter, pulling away with an impressive lead of almost 30 points. The Kits closed out the night with a three-pointer from Aiden Payne and a layup from Matt Gilroy, securing the 82-39 win.
Coach Ellis highlights Pratt’s strong performance, almost achieving a double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Payne is also noted for his aggressiveness at both ends of the floor.
“The next game, huge. We’re 1-0 in the conference; we won a road game to begin with. If we don’t handle our home floor on Thursday (12/11), that road victory is erased,” stated Ellis.
