Boys' basketball falls to Gonzaga
On Dec. 14, the SJC boys’ basketball team fell to Gonzaga 53-56. It was a heartbreaker. The Cadets always want to beat the Eagles, and when they fall short, it’s sad for the fans, but even worse for the players.
Even though they ended up losing, the Cadets played some good basketball. St. John’s looked really good and always stayed in the game. The Cadets were down by six at the end of the first quarter, but nobody lost hope. The defense looked good and the offense was hanging right there with Gonzaga. In the second quarter, SJC scored 14 points while holding the Eagles to just 10 points, making the game 24-24 at the half.
Everybody anxiously anticipated the second half. After the break, shooting guard Casey Morsell ’19 led the team out of the locker room and they prepared to finally take the lead. The Cadets went through the third quarter with firepower. The offense put up 17 points and the defense only allowed Gonzaga nine points. This brought the score to 41-33 with one quarter left to play, the largest lead of the game for either team.
Cadet fans could start to taste victory when the fourth quarter got underway. The team seemed unstoppable. The players were hyped, the student section was hyped, but unfortunately, the Eagles were hyped as well. Gonzaga came storming back, scoring 20 points on offense and holding SJC to 15. This seems like a lot of points allowed by Gonzaga, considering the rest of the game, but the offense did enough to carry the team. The final score out of Gallagher Gym: 53-56 Gonzaga.
From a basketball fan’s perspective, it was a great game. Featuring lots of lead changes, physical play, and a come-from-behind win. From an SJC fan’s perspective, it was a heartbreaker.
Morsell said that he was disappointed with the loss, but proud of the way the team played. “We started out down by a few, and we did our job and came back. We just couldn’t punch it in. This is a complete team though, I’m optimistic.”
The next game for the Cadets is against W.T. Woodson in Gallagher Gym this Friday at 7:30 pm.
