After a lengthy battle on the home court, the boys varsity basketball team fell 60-41 to the Fort Zumwalt East Lions on Friday, Jan. 18.

“During this game, we just couldn’t score, especially during the second half,” senior Timothy Corley said. “We’ve been having a hard time scoring the last couple of games.”

The first half of the game had fans on the edge of the bleachers as the two teams fought over the lead. At halftime, the Jays were only down by two points.

“The first half, we definitely had pretty good defense,” Corley said. “The second half was a little bit shaky, and we turned the ball over a lot.”

Unfortunately, the Lions took advantage of these ball turnovers, leading to the Jays’ defeat.

“It really came down to just the little things. We couldn’t get the ball inbound there for a little bit,” senior and team manager Kade Uetz said. “…We just weren’t hitting shots, and they were.”

Despite the difficulties the team encountered throughout the game, the players continued to support each other until the last second.

“I think we stuck together really well. A lot of guys were still cheering each other on, even in the fourth quarter when we were down 10,” Uetz said, “and staying together as a team is the most important thing in that scenario.”

In addition to their teammates, the players also experienced encouragement from parents, classmates and other Blue Jay basketball enthusiasts in the audience.

“The fans are one of the biggest things that the team has. All the energy that they bring, their cheering, getting hyped on the plays,” Uetz said, “it just increases the energy with the team, and then they’re able to play a lot better basketball.”

Anticipation for the “Heartwarming” dance after the basketball game also contributed to both the spirit of the crowd and the team, boosting their excitement despite the Jays’ defeat.

“Courtwarming for basketball is like Homecoming for football,” Corley said. “…you kind of try to take a little bit more pride in the game.”