Going into Wednesday night’s game, the Carlmont boys varsity basketball team had one thing on their mind: PAL playoffs.
A clean win against the Aragon Dons would need to be in store to keep the Scots prepared for achieving their goal of doing well in PALs.
The game started off slow, with the first two points being scored due to free throws by guard Sammy Bean, a senior.
After going up and down the court and a 3-pointer from point guard Sho Takahashi, a senior, the score quickly became 11-2 with Carlmont in the lead.
But, the Scots’ game quickly proved to not be flowing as smoothly as normal.
“We struggled with staying focused during the game, causing us to get pretty lax on defense,” said Abram Guldbech, a junior and point guard.
Ending the first quarter leading 11-4, the Scots focused on getting their game cleaned up for the rest of the game.
“As a team, we needed to improve on rebounding the ball on offense,” said shooting guard Lajuan Nelson, a senior.
The Dons began to catch up in the second quarter, tailing the Scots 16-14.
David Bedrosian, a senior and point forward, said, “We were a little bit cold in the beginning of this game and our outside shooting wasn’t great. Sometimes it’s like that. As long as we can keep consistent shots in the future, we’re good.”
Carlmont’s offensive game stepped it up and began to utilize more effective ball handling and passing decisions.
“We moved the ball pretty well and we weren’t selfish on offense, which helped a lot,” Guldbech said.
After the Scots’ offense caused the end of the first half to come in at 30-18, Carlmont, the game took a turn for the better.
Carlmont’s defense pulled through and began holding the Dons back, keeping their over 10-point lead.
“We did well at limiting the other team’s offensive boards and limiting them to one shot, which is something we will continue to use in the playoffs,” Bedrosian said.t
The Scots finished strong, defeating the Dons 52-41, bringing their PAL goals closer, but not losing sight of that will help them be successful.
“Going into the Sequoia game Friday and playoffs, one thing that will help us is bursting from spot to spot, taking better angles, and more efficient routes in our offense,” Bedrosian said.
With the rivalry game on Friday versus Sequoia also being the last league game, the Scots expect to play hard for a last win going into playoffs.
Guldbech said, “We are looking forward to ending their season because if we beat them, they won’t make the playoffs.”
