The Carlmont Scots varsity boys basketball team destroyed the Hillsdale Knights in a 65-46 game at Carlmont High School on Friday, Feb. 14.
Being on a 7-game win streak, the Scots were confident that they could keep it going. Additionally, the Scots were ranked 198th in California while the Knights were 708th.
Unlike other games, this one was different as it was senior night, meaning that it was more focused on celebrating the seniors. Instead of starting the game right away, the seniors participated in a walkout and received short speeches from fellow teammates.
After commemorating the seniors, the game started with the Scots in possession of the ball. Carlmont senior Jeremiah Phillips scored the first points of the game, giving the Scots the early lead. The Knights quickly started their attack and scored a 3-pointer. After trading shots with each other, the quarter ended with the Scots having a two point lead.
Shortly into the second quarter, the Scots received two free throws and scored both of them. As the quarter went on, the Scots were stronger than the Knights in both offense and defense. The Scots started to slowly pull away from the Knights and ended the half with a score of 31-21.
“First half, I think we battled hard but in the end, Carlmont did their thing,” said Matthew Vaughan, a senior from Hillsdale High School.
As the second half started, the Scots continued their domination and were unstoppable. Despite the Knights’ efforts to stop the Scots, nothing worked and the Scots were on a rampage. Shot after shot, the Scots racked up points and things were looking bleak for the Knights.
“We shared the ball really well, and we played well together, too,” said Carlmont senior Josh Lam.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Scots had a 23-point lead. The Scots kept their momentum going and continued to score. However, the Knights started to pick things up and were putting up more points against the Scots. Despite a hard-fought attempt to narrow the lead from the Knights, it wasn’t enough. Ultimately, the Scots were victorious and won the game with a final score of 65-46.
In spite of winning the game, the Scots still had areas they needed to improve on moving forward into future games.
“We need to stop rushing so much sometimes and slow down the game a bit,” Phillips said.
