The boys basketball team fell 50-60 to a top ranked and undefeated Shawnee Mission Northwest Tuesday, Jan. 30.
The Jaguars fell behind early with the score being 19-31 at half. The team fought back in the second half and the deficit was cut to three with only a couple minutes remaining in the game. Ultimately, the Jags were not able to complete the comeback.
The team found themselves in a large deficit in the second quarter. Head coach Kurt Bangle believes the team fought hard and kept the game close despite the deficit.
“We battled really well for most of the game,” Bangle said. “We either were tied with them and we beat them in the second half. The second quarter really got away from us and we lost some of our defensive spots.”
According to sophomore Jakhai Carter, who led the team with 17 points, the team can make a couple small improvements.
“I think we played well but I think there are little fixes that we can fix along the way like limiting turnovers and communicating more,” Carter said.
Despite the loss, Bangle found positives from the matchup against the strong SMNW team.
“I think the fact that they are the number one team in the state and we beat them in the second half and outside of just a brief moment, it was a really close and tight ballgame,” Bangle said.
With the playoffs inching closer, Carter views practice as the key to their success.
“We need to be talking at practice and really trying to get better each and every day,” Carter said. “We trust our coaches and trust each other and just fix the little stuff that we need [before playoffs].”
