Halfway through the first quarter freshman Ethan Rabinovitch scored the Lions’ first points of the game with a layup. The stands exploded, the Lion’s supporters shouting encouragement. In the end the Bullis Bulldogs pushed through the Lions’s defenses and won the game with a score of 75-17 on Dec. 10.
The game was the Lions’ first home of the season, and third of the year. The team won their first game of the season against Edmund Burke School. They later lost to Mclean School. According to freshman AJ Salz the team did not know exactly what challenges they would face going into this game.
“[The first shot] was a big moment. And we felt like, oh, we can really do this. We can score,” freshman Noam Price said. “At that point, the game wasn’t really about winning, it’s about having fun and trying to do the best.”
During the first quarter, the Lions scored twice, playing more offense than in most of the game. After a three-pointer made by freshman Ariel Alexander, Salz blocked a shot by the Bulldogs holding the score to 27-5. With only a few seconds left of the quarter, freshman Ryder Chesman, Ribinovich and Alexander executed a hustle play, working together to keep the ball in before the clock ran out. The Bulldogs ended the quarter up 27-5.
Salz said that the first quarter really made the team understand what they were up against, and though it was a bit discouraging, it also helped the team realize they needed to start working harder and thinking more strategically.
“I’m proud of my team for playing against a tough team, but we kept our heads in it until the very end,” Salz said. “I know we need to keep …working hard and keep putting in the work so that we can be better for next games.”
The Bulldogs brought a strong offense to begin the second quarter forcing the Lions to play defense, limiting their scoring opportunities. The first half wrapped up with a basket from the Bulldogs, leaving JDS down 39 points, the score at 49-10.
“A lot of teams are gonna put their head down after something like that and feel defeated and knock themselves down,” head coach Spencer Wood said. “That is not us. We lost together … And I told my guys right at the end of the game, hey, we’re gonna go out. We’re gonna go out swinging.”
Through the third quarter the Lions remained down, even so, the crowd still continued to cheer every time a JDS player passed, blocked or stole the ball.
As the last quarter came to the halfway point, the Lions sprung into action with Rabinovitch blocking a Bullis shot. As the clock wound down, both freshman Mason Solomon and Price scored the team two points.
According to Wood, the team is going to work on their passes and shots, they’re looking to perfect their basic skills. They hope to just focus on maintaining a good attitude, as well as continuing learning the life skills the being part of a team teaches. Their next game will be on Dec. 16 against Sidwell Friends School.
“I’m proud of them for going out there in front of our home crowd, taking a beating, but doing it proudly, and keeping their heads up and pride and for that, I don’t care about the score board, because we did everything we could,” Wood said.
