On Friday, January 4th, Stars JV boys basketball played their first game of the new year, managing a close win over the Brooklyn Center Centaurs. The Stars boasted three subs to the Centaurs’ one, helping the Stars maintain a lead throughout the game.
The game got off to a slow start, but an early steal by sophomore Peter Koenig and his subsequent layup created momentum for both teams. Immediately following Koenig’s basket, two personal fouls were committed in a row, with one being attributed to each team. The Centaurs missed their free throw while junior Jake Winston was able to convert his, making the score 12-8 in favor of the Stars. The Stars then left their opponents wide open for a three point shot, but redeemed themselves when freshman Tristan Duggan responded with a three pointer himself. While attempting another basket, Duggan was fouled; an offense that the Stars responded to by converting both free throws and another three pointer. Junior Elias DeCrans then escaped a three-man defense to pass the ball to freshman Keegan Spence, who continued the three point streak with another conversion, making the score 34-22 for the Stars. DeCrans then made two baskets in a row, one off a rebound and the other a result of an impressive steal, subsequently putting the Stars up four more points. Another basket by the Stars and a hold called in favor of the Centaurs led to a halftime score of 40-25.
The Stars got off to a rough start in the second half, with the Centaurs quickly racking up seven points off of AHA turnovers. Fortunately, a penalty called on the Centaurs stopped their momentum and led to two three pointers in a row from Duggan. The game continued with a questionable foul called on DeCrans, though the Centaurs were only able to convert one of the two free throws. The Stars then gave up two fouls in a row, allowing the Centaurs to gain four more points, leaving the score 56-45 for the Stars. Renewing the Stars’ drive, Duggan managed to make two more three point shots, though the Centaurs quickly responded with a three pointer of their own. With three more fouls called in favor of the Stars and each team trading off shots, AHA ended up on top with a final score of 77-69. The top scorer of the game was Duggan with twenty-four points, made possible with his three-point accuracy and his teammates’ excellent plays.
