While the men’s varsity basketball team is usually in the top of the conference and makes it to the playoffs,  that is not the case for this year.

     Despite the boy´s efforts and hard work, this season has been tough with multiple players out due to injuries. The injuries have impacted the team’s execution of fundamentals such as scoring and hitting free throws while increasing turnovers.

     The Spartans started off their first game hot, jumping to a 10-point lead against Hough on December 2nd. They headed into halftime with a score of 27-17. However, in the fourth quarter, the Spartans slowed down and Hough took the lead with a score of 45-43, eventually winning the game 55-53 and barely outlasting the Spartans.

     Against East Meck in the second game of the season, the Spartans held a short lead the whole game. In the last 4 minutes, the Spartans were up by one point. With the final 5.5 seconds on the clock, Hough had the ball on the opposite side of the court and ended up scoring a three-point buzzer-beater, handing the Spartans their second loss of the year.

     Close calls have been the theme of the season as SV just hasn’t had the edge to beat them despite a solid off-season and a tough training and practice schedule to prepare to play some of the strongest teams around, according to head coach Keith Mason. 

     Many of the team’s most valued players have been injured including senior forward Daniel Valentine having ACL surgery, junior point guard Tyree White with a back injury, and junior shooting guard Quincy Prince with a shoulder injury that occurred during the Hough game. The team has had to make major adjustments for injured players.

   ¨At some point, we have led each team during every game. It was just a matter of learning how to win without all of the pieces being there,¨ said Mason.

    The Spartans tasted victory against Monroe in their second meetup this season. Having played them earlier (50-45), the Spartans knew they had a chance. 

  ¨Losing to a team early and getting the opportunity to play them again, measures the improvement the team has made. We worked hard, and it showed,¨ said Mason.

   The Spartans had some great plays in the first half, but Monroe had led at halftime 29-20. Through defensive stops that led to transitions that gave them more opportunities to score, SV ended the game on top of the Redhawks 54-50.   

 ¨The Spartans have shown potential this year; they just need to keep their game at that top level,¨ Mason said.

    The maroon and the white will face rival Porter Ridge on Friday, January 13th at 7:30 pm at home.