The Carlmont Scots varsity boys basketball team fell just short against the Sacred Heart Preparatory Gators in a 47-46 game at Archbishop Riordan High School on Saturday, Dec. 7.
The Scots were confident going into the game with a 2-2 record, while the Gators had a 0-2 record. The last time the two schools faced off in 2023, the Scots came out victorious.
The Gators started the game with possession of the ball. After a failed attack, Carlmont senior Camden Ngo scored the first points of the game and gave the Scots a 2-0 lead. After numerous shots exchanged between the teams, the Scots maintained the lead until the Gators made a 3-pointer and tied the game. The first quarter ended with both teams having 11 points.
After a quick discussion with the team, the Scots started out the second quarter strong with a free throw. Immediately after, the Gators nailed a 3-pointer and took the lead. The Gators gained momentum from this and carried on the lead until the end of the quarter. The Gators were playing confidently in both defense and offense and were winning 22-21.
“I think we were playing a little flat the previous two games. Today, however, we came out with that energy, and everyone played well,” said Oliver Marcin, a junior from Sacred Heart Preparatory.
As the second half began, the Gators extended their lead with a layup. However, after the Scots called a timeout, they quickly bounced back and narrowed the lead to one point. Despite this, the Gators were still dominating and were winning 35-32 going into the final quarter.
“Something we need to improve on is definitely execution. This means getting into plays quicker, playing to our strengths, and things like that,” Ngo said.
The fourth quarter kicked off with a slow start. Though the Scots and Gators were both firing shots, no points were scored until four minutes into the quarter. The Scots started to gain focus and closed the game to a one-point lead once again. Ngo was leading the team and racking up points. The score was 43-42 in favor of the Gators with one minute left on the clock.
After a series of intense attacks, there were only ten seconds left. The Gators were still in the lead by one point. With four seconds left, Ngo got fouled and received two free throws. The gym fell silent and the players on the bench were on the edge of their seats. Ngo missed both shots. However, the Gators bumped the ball out of bounds and the Scots had the ball. With two seconds left, the Scots called their final timeout. This was the last chance for the Scots to win the game. As the timeout came to an end, the ball was inbounded and passed to Ngo. He quickly released the ball and shot but missed. After a very close game, the Gators came through and ended with a score of 47-46.
“They had a lot of ups and downs, but they were able to continue to fight which gave them an opportunity at the end to try and close the game out,” said Carlmont head coach John Schrup.
