Varsity boys basketball bests Marina 71-61 in CCS quarterfinal
Varsity boys basketball secured a 71-61 win over Marina High School on Feb 21. in the CCS Division IV quarterfinal game in the Zhang Gymnasium.
Marina won the opening tipoff and put the first points on the board, immediately jumping to a lead 0-2. In response, shooting guard Advay Monga (12) scored a three-pointer off a counter attack, bringing the score to 3-2 for the Eagles.
Point guard Bowen Xia (12) set the intensity early by drawing a foul and sinking both shots, followed by power forward Rohit Yalla (12) who made another free throw. With Marina countering to seize the lead, Harker called their first timeout with four minutes left in the quarter.
Shooting guard Caden Ruan (11) added to the scoreboard with a free throw, and power forward Vyom Vidyarthi (12) tied the game 13-13 with a layup. To close off the first quarter, Advay propelled Harker ahead to 20-18, and Bowen followed by delivering the final points to secure a 23-18 lead.
Returning to the court with increased offensive pressure, the Vikings began to chip away at the Eagles’ lead in the second quarter. While Harker continued to create chances, the Eagles’ struggled to finish their opportunities, with Bowen’s layups bouncing off the rim. Marina capitalized on transition plays to put away layups off rebounds, wearing down Harker’s edge to 35-33 by the end of the half.
With the Vikings trailing close behind, shooting guard Lucas Huang (9) sank a three pointer early in the third quarter, prompting cheers from players on the bench. Marina answered each of Harker’s attacks, preventing the Eagle’s from building their lead as both teams traded back to back threes.
Lucas reflected on the team’s energy and determination throughout the game.
“We came in as the 12th seed, but they definitely challenged us, and we played really hard out there,” Lucas said. “Everyone still kept the energy up, and even intensified it more to go up 15 or 10 points. We definitely built the lead off of our energy, which is what I love.”
In reaction to Advay’s fast break drive for an attempt that rattled off the rim, a Viking player rebounded immediately to score a layup to open the second half. Finally pulling apart from the Vikings, the Eagles went on an offensive streak midway through the quarter, with Vyom and Bowen converting layups to bring the score to 50-42.
Both sides continued trading baskets, remaining locked in a tight battle. A three pointer from shooting guard Alan Gao (11) marked the end of the third quarter, with the Eagles ahead 57-50.
Shifting their focus towards protecting their lead, the Eagles looked to lock down their opponents in the fourth quarter, urged on by the crowd’s chants of “Defense!” whenever the Vikings advanced. Competing for every rebound, Advay and Vyom both prevented Marina from gaining momentum by leaping high into the air to block shots and intercept passes.
Lucas scored seven consecutive points off two layups and a three-pointer in the final minutes of the match, securing Harker’s victory 71-61.
Audience member Veer Sahasi (12) attended the match to support Vyom. He commented on the team’s victory and how it contributed to school spirit.
“I love when we have a unified athletics program,” Veer said. “We have a really strong athletics department and I’m super happy that the boys basketball program was able to make CCS. It’s always really fun to go out and support them, especially in elimination games, and be the loudest fans on the court.”
Varsity boys head coach Alfredo Alves commended the team’s performance throughout the season, emphasizing their ability to close out games.
“We started off slow, but what’s been great about this team all season long is we’ve been able to finish games and win games where in the past we weren’t able to do that, ” Alves said. “They came together and started to play really good defense in the second half, which got us some good looks offensively.”
The team advanced to the semifinal match against Menlo on Saturday but came up short 57-68, marking the end of their season.
The team finished with an overall record of 14-12.
Additional reporting by Sam Li.