Boys Basketball Loses to Edison in First Home Game
On Dec. 15, the Samo boys basketball team lost in a close game to Edison High School with a final score of 61-47. Samo was predicted to win, but fell a bit short in the final quarter. Although, the non-conference game was evenly matched as both teams played their hearts out in an exciting and intense performance. Edison started strong, as they won the toss-up and scored the first basket within the second minute. But Samo came back with a layup and beautiful teamwork to tie it up. Samo worked their way back into offensive mode and the starting five played tough against a fouling team. The first quarter ended with a free throw making the score 18-13 with Edison in the lead. “We started the game okay. Tempo was good... I thought overall we started fairly strong,” coach James Hecht said.The second quarter began with Samo defending their side and finding trouble getting the ball to the other side of the court. After a timeout, the team started to recover little by little but not enough.“We need to do a better job of sharing the basketball… I think we got away from that a little bit throughout the game,” Hecht said.Edison gained momentum near the end of the first half and rattled Samo’s communication, finishing the second quarter with a score of 33-25.“I thought we started out flat. Hecht thought we weren’t focused,” De’Sean Allen-Eikens (’18) said.The second half began quickly with shots being scored back and forth. The momentum shifted towards Samo’s offense as shooting guard Payton Moore (’18) stole the ball and scored halfway through the third. The bench stood up on their feet and the crowd was roaring as the rally began. Samo took the lead with three minutes left and ended the third quarter with Edison only ahead by one point: 42-41. Edison started off the fourth quarter with a three pointer, as the boys in blue and gold lost momentum and motivation. The gym was quiet throughout the final minutes, as the fourth quarter began to look like the second. “We have to do a better job of... just playing together as a unit. I think when we share the ball, it carries over on the defensive side. We’ve got to play together,” Hecht said.Samo did their best to gain possession in the last minute, but the game ultimately ended with a tough defeat of 61-47. “...We need to build team chemistry,” Allen-Eikens said. “We have a number of Division 1 guys, so the talent is there.”The team lost energy, hope and stamina as the game faded in the final quarter. But it had been a hard-fought match between two competitive teams that will help Samo prepare for League.