Victory against Beverly Hills earns praise for the boy's basketball team

On Wednesday, Jan. 18, the boy’s basketball team achieved victory against their rival Beverly Hills High School in a match ending with a score of 68-54.Head coach James Hecht was pleased with his team's performance throughout the game.“The team started playing well right from the start,” Hecht said. “They shared the ball early in the game which allowed us to get in the lead so quickly in the first moments of the game.”The first quarter was clearly dominated by Samo. The quarter ended with the team having a impressive lead, but once the second quarter started, Beverly began to gain momentum. By the end of that quarter, they were locked head to head with the lead going back and forth between the teams.“The tension on the court is palpable. A rivalry game always carries a bit more weight with it regardless of when or where it is in the season,” Hecht said. “I think that pressure was the reason the boys were playing more aggressively, which led to some foul trouble in the second quarter. That was a big part of the reason Beverly was able to gain any momentum.”The beginning of the last quarter was tenuous, the fans on either side cheered on their team and booed the other. But Samo became more focused with the pressure, their passes were connecting and every shot made it into the basket. By the end of the fourth quarter, the victor was decided and the game ended. Boys basketball is looking forward and working hard to grab another win for Samo at their next home game against El Segundo High School.