In boys basketball’s latest game, varsity won a hard-fought match against the Brooklyn Center Centaurs. The starters for the Stars included juniors Kenzo Lee, Daniel Devine, Danny Kelly, Blake Nixon, and sophomore Arjun Jain. Starting off the game, the Centaurs won the tipoff, but were unable to convert before the shot clock ran out. AHA then gained possession of the ball, but the Centaurs managed a steal and put the first points on the board. Nixon responded with a three pointer, but the sequence immediately repeated: an AHA turnover into a layup for the Centaurs and a three point response from the Stars. After a foul committed by Jain, senior Nate Ritz checked into the game for the sophomore. Ritz made an instant impact on the game, his first play assisting Lee’s two point basket. After a few more shots were exchanged, the Stars were fouled twice in a row, with Devine missing both his free throws and Nixon converting his two. With 6:20 left in the half, junior Jake Winston was subbed in for Devine, quickly putting three points on the board with a two point shot and a free throw. In the next two minutes, Winston managed two more baskets, making the score 26-16 for the Stars. Continuing the momentum, Nixon put up another three pointer after a steal from junior Elias DeCrans, who then put up a two point basket of his own. The last points of the half were scored by Devine, who secured AHA’s lead of 37-22 at the end of the first half. 

The second half starters once again included Lee, Kelly, and Nixon, with Ritz and Winston in for Devine and Jain. The first points of the half belonged to Winston, with a rebound into a two point shot. After Winston’s basket, a series of unfortunate events began for the Stars. AHA was unable to convert any points on free throws after a Centaurs foul and proceeded to turn over the ball twice in a row, creating easy opportunities for the opposition to add points. In an attempt to end the Centaurs’ scoring streak, Winston grabbed two key rebounds for the Stars and dove to recover a dropped ball. Soon after, a run of fouls began, with Lee and Devine fouled a total of three times, racking up seven points in shots. Two fouls were then called against the Stars, leading the Centaurs to increase their score by three points. With a two point basket from Nixon and two points in response from the Centaurs, the game ended with a score of 63-55 for the Stars. The highest scorer of the game was Nixon with 15 points, helped by his teammates’ rebounds and strong defense.