By Olivia Krueger, Sports Editor and Vivian Yenson, Staff Writer
The Barons boys’ varsity basketball team took on Huntington Beach High School in a heated match which ultimately resulted in a 65-51 win for the Barons. Despite some on-court altercations, the team was able to maintain their rhythm enough to overpower the Oilers.
The boys had a slow start during the first quarter, while Huntington Beach quickly scored several points. The Baron offense attempted several 3-pointers but was unsuccessful at gaining the lead. In the final seconds of the quarter, junior Garrett Young assisted junior Adam Beerck in carrying out an excellent shot, but the Barons ended the quarter behind by 10-16.
“You come out in the first two to three minutes, its whos going to hit who the hardest and whoevers going to fold will fold, so the first two minutes were our biggest issue,” said Head Coach D’Cean Bryant.
After a rocky first quarter, senior Cameron Mansouri helped the team gain some momentum with a steal and a layup to score the first points of the second quarter. Both teams went back and forth scoring but after some poorly guarded shots and missed baskets, Coach Bryant called a timeout.
Proceeding the timeout, the Barons offense picked up their pace and began to chip away at the Oilers’ lead. With time running out on the clock, Young passed to unguarded junior Adam Beerck to make a basket that would give the Barons a 29-28 lead going into halftime.
Tension arose between the teams when the opposing team hurled insults at Mansouri. As a result, both teams received technical fouls and to relieve the tension, Coach Bryant subbed Mansouri out for the rest of the quarter.
Proceeding the incident, senior Jake Bitzer charged ahead, regaining the Barons’ dominance and racked up six points. Junior Severo De La Riva followed Bitzer’s strong lead, shot several layups, and received a free-throw point, bringing the third quarter to an end with a score of 49-37.
“We were aware on defense and rebounded well, we got a little grimy and we got a little gritty and that’s what we wanted to do and sometimes that’s what you gotta do to get wins,” said Bryant.
Following the massive 20-point third quarter, the Barons went into the final quarter with a win in sight. Freshman Jeremiah Davis racked up 6-points from free throws alone and senior Josh Gray erupted for eight points. With the points from Davis and Gray and all-around solid defense, the Barons held on to their lead for the win.
“All the guys came out a did a great job and that doesn’t just translate to point but it translates to effort and rebounding and diving on the floor for a lose ball so I just think overall collectively the team came out and did a great job,” said Bryant.
Gray led the team with 18-points followed by De La Riva’s 14-points and Davis’ 10-points.
