Staff Writer
Photos by Leilani Scholtz
The boys’ varsity basketball team showcased a 2-2 performance in the Lions Take the Turkey tournament held at El Monte High School. Taking place between November 23-28, the Tigers started the season in a tightly contested loss to Victor Valley in a score of 53-56. In their next two games, South Pas came back with a 60-49 win over Baldwin Park and a 50-46 win against Wilson High School but fell short against Salesian High School in a 75-63 loss.
South Pas came into the first round against the bigger Victor Valley Jackrabbits. With key playmaking points, the Tigers found themselves up 21-18 ending the first quarter. Junior Matthew Scholtz knocked down a buzzer beater half court shot to give South Pas all the momentum going into the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short 53-56. Coming into the second round, the Tigers faced off against Baldwin Park, determined to come back from their previous loss. South Pas had trouble in the first half, with the intensity on the opposition and ended the first half down by four points. After a few adjustments to the Tigers playstyle, South Pasadena racked up point after point to gain the upper advantage on the Braves and clinch a 60-49 victory.
After riding off on the team’s victory against Baldwin Park, South Pas found themselves in a must win situation against the Wilson Wildcats. Down by three points in the first quarter, South Pas stayed neck and neck with the Wildcats to close the gap on the scoreboard. Heading into halftime, the Tigers came out on fire in the third. With 15 points accumulated in the third quarter along with a consistent zone defense hampering the Wildcats, South Pasadena rode out their momentum in a 50-46 victory.
South Pas came into their last game, itching for one last win against Salesian High School. Clutch shooting from Salesian and tough defensive stops forced the Tigers to lose key conversions. In the end, South Pas couldn’t triumph over the Mustangs and evened their record at 2-2 in a 63-75 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 Pasadena looks on to their next matchup against San Gabriel Academy High School on Tuesday, December 1.
