Staff Writer
The boys’ varsity basketball team closed out the Glendora Winter Tournament with a 2-2 record on Saturday, December 19.
South Pas entered its first contest against Rowland High School and suffered its first loss with a final score of 64-44. The Tigers’ two victories were against the host school Glendora and Duarte both produced strong performances from the outsized Tiger players with a final score of 45-32 and 54-20. South Pas dropped its final matchup of the neutral tournament to Don Lugo High School in a tightly contested score of 70-61.
The Tigers’ beginning offense was met with stubborn man-to-man defense from Rowland. Six fouls early in the first quarter hampered the Tiger Starting Five’s flexibility on the court. The Raiders’ overall execution proved to be the decisive factor in the game. The Rowland boarding and jumpshot capabilities forced the Tigers to play from behind for most of the duration of regulation time.
The team’s next game pitted the Tigers against school host Glendora. The smaller South Pas players used their faster agility to beat the Tartans to the hoop while also knocking down key three pointers to topple Glendora with a 45-32 final score.
A 54-20 rout over Duarte High School summarized the team’s third game of the tournament. The Tigers decisive scoring in the first quarter kept the momentum rolling for South Pas and allowed the South Pas bench to clock in minutes of play against the beleaguered Duarte Falcons.
The team’s last game against Don Lugo High School saw the Tigers down two points in the half with a 30-28 score. Although South Pas kept the scoreboard neck and neck, Don Lugo’s third and fourth quarter performance gave them the few points needed to send the Tigers home with a 70-61 loss.
“The two losses were tough on us but we got that behind us now,” junior Stone Franco said. “Our chemistry in the team is great and we’ve been working hard in the gym, getting better everyday.”
South Pas debuts in its first game of 2016 against Trinity Classical Academy on January 2.
