Boys’ Basketball Struggles to Perform Under Pressure

JIMMY TANG
Staff Writer
The JV boys’ basketball team began competing in late November; however, their performance has been somewhat below average. The team, with a 0-1 Almont League record, suffered their first loss against Mark Keppel last Wednesday. Despite their slow start, the players are working hard to improve their playing skills, stamina and team chemistry.
“We need to cut down on our turnovers and take care of the ball more in order to be successful,” said guard Qing Ma.
Although the players did not win their first game, they are confident that they have the potential to deliver positive results. The team’s solid game-play contributed to their preseason win against El Monte back in December. However, some factors that contributed to their losses vary from losing focus, to missing many opportunities at the free throw line.
“Working on our physical strength along with the multiple scrimmages we played in helped us improve, but we should condition more becauseplayers are not as fast as they should be,” said off-guard Phillip Tran.
The team played in the Cathedral Tournament on Dec. 27, suffering a dramatic loss against Cathedral by one point. Looking towards the future, the team is optimistic and working hard to limit their mistakes for future games. This includes dedicating more time to practice and setting high goals for themselves, which includes surpassing last year’s JV team.