The junior varsity boys basketball team lost their first game of the season to their rivals, Berman Academy, 44-39. The Lions had high hopes to beat Berman, and were upset with their loss on Monday. 

Berman quickly took the lead in the first quarter, which ended 9-3, with only one basket scored by sophomore Adam Drexler, who finished with 16 points. The losing start discouraged some of the players. Even more frustrating was,  three JDS players collided, and freshman Jonah Gross hurt his knee and was taken out of the game. 

“It was upsetting that we lost, but it was our first game and we still have a lot to improve,” Gross said. 

In the second quarter, the Lions were having some trouble keeping possession of the ball, but still managed to score some baskets. Sophomore Noam Zaremba had a total of 11 points, and freshman Josh Eihnhiorn who had a total of 7 points. The quarter ended 20-12, with Berman leading.

“We needed a good shot; that was primarily our problem all night. We couldn’t get the ball in, and that’s something we need to work on, but I told them just to be confident,” coach Mikhail Leybo said.

The Lions started the third quarter off strong. Drexler scored multiple three-pointers, and the team made better passes and played stronger overall. The quarter ended 27-24, with the Lions just behind Berman.

In the fourth quarter, the Lions were getting riled and up and were trying to get ahead. They were down by three with eight seconds left, but Berman scored two foul shots, and the Lions could not get it back. The final score was in Berman’s favor, 44-39.

“It was nice to get out there for our first game,” Drexler said. “We fought hard the whole game, but it was a disappointing loss for all of us. I am more motivated now to work in practice and I know that we’ll be happy with the results if we see Berman again.” 

The Lions hope to make a comeback and beat Berman if they play again. The coach believes that with more practice, they will definitely be able to beat them.

“Stay in the game, that’s something I have been teaching the guys since they started,” Leybo said. “Certain things didn’t go our way but we still stayed in the game, which I am very proud of.”