By Bethany Nguyen
On Wednesday, Jan. 28, the FVHS boys’ basketball team (5-6 league, 21-6 overall) lost 52-71 to the Los Alamitos Griffins (8-2 league, 17-9 overall) in their final game of the season. Despite a strong start to the game, the Barons’ defense was ultimately overpowered by the Griffins’ effort.
Key players included senior Drew Chinchilla, senior Kenneth Nguyen and senior Kaden Khuu. With assists from Chinchilla, Nguyen and Khuu scored the most points of the game.
The Griffins started off the first quarter with possession of the ball before senior Drew Chinchilla took a rebound and swished a striking three-pointer only thirty seconds in. The Griffins responded by making two consecutive shots against the Barons, bringing the score to 3-4. Drew Chinchilla then assisted senior Kaden Khuu’s first three-pointer of the game, extending the Barons’ lead to 8-4.
Throughout the remainder of the quarter, the Barons and the Griffins battled it out in a tough back-and-forth on the court, as well as on the scoreboard, with neither team letting the other keep their lead for long. The synergy between seniors Khuu and Nguyen, along with strong blocks from senior Kyler Yee drove the Barons forward to end the quarter with a close score of 14-15.
After the second quarter began, the Griffins gained possession once again, before senior James Pennington quickly stole it back. After a successful free throw from Pennington, the Barons tied up the score at 15-15. Consecutive fouls impeded progress for both teams throughout the quarter as the defenses struggled to contain the other offense’s plays.
After a pass from Khuu, junior Ethan Dang scored a three-pointer, pushing the Barons to catch up to the Griffins’ score at 18-22. Nguyen’s and Khuu’s combined four free throws advanced the Barons to a nail-biting score of 24-25, and the back-and-forth continued throughout the quarter, with the Barons slightly trailing 31-32 by the end of the half.
The Griffins followed up junior Isaac Chinchilla’s basket with a missed jumpshot, with Khuu seizing the opportunity to swish another three pointer to forge the Barons ahead 36-34. The Griffins almost immediately retaliated after a foul with two made free throws.
The Barons’ brief lead would be their last this game as the Griffins began to score point after point, quickly edging the score to 38-46 after a brief timeout halfway through the quarter. Despite Nguyen’s and Drew Chinchilla’s baskets, a Griffins buzzer-beater ended the third quarter 45-51. .
The Barons’ slow defense in the fourth quarter allowed the Griffins to score six points (including a dunk) to extend their lead 47-57. Nguyen bounced back from a rough trip and scored a free throw to cut down the Griffins lead 48-61, yet the Griffins seemed to match each field goal the Barons made. After Nguyen’s two-pointer put FVHS at 50-65, the Griffins immediately extended their lead to 50-67.
The Barons called their final timeout with thirty-five seconds left in the game, and with mere seconds remaining, Dang sank the final shot of the game, concluding the contest with a score of 52-71.
The Barons look to continue their hard work next season after the spring offseason.
