By MONIQUE PATIL
Staff Writer
On Friday, January 9 the boys basketball team played a tight league opener game against Woodbridge High School (WHS) for the Game of the Week and was ultimately defeated 60-63.
The Trojans brought their spirit and packed WHS’s gym with full force, helping cheer the boys on against the Warrior rivals. UHS was the first to score, and the game was tied at 11-11 at the end of the first quarter. In the first half of the second quarter, Woodbridge went on a 10-1 scoring run. UHS regrouped and gathered its momentum and outscored the Warriors 11-10 in the rest of the second quarter, but was still down 23-31 going into halftime. The two teams continued to battle back and forth in the third quarter. Both teams scored ten points in the first four minutes, and Joey Sfreddo (Sr.) and Kiron Dey (Jr.) hit numerous three pointers, pulling the Trojans ahead to 50-47 by the end of the quarter.
The two teams were neck to neck beginning the last quarter. WHS tied up the score at 50 and then pulled ahead, but Sfreddo, Tim Kwan (Sr.) and Tyler Cashman (Jr.) counter attacked, bringing UHS back within one point of WHS. Cashman blocked a shot and took a charge with seven seconds left, but UHS lost possession of the ball and fouled the Warriors, ending the game 60-63. Though the Trojans valiantly battled until the end, they were unable to pull through with a victory.
Co-captain Kwan said, “Though we didn’t get the win, we’re proud of our work as a team and for our great Trojan Army support. We look forward to bringing back a win against Woodbridge at home and from our performance on Friday we look to be contenders for the league title.”
The Trojans currently hold a 0-1 record in league, and a 7-7 overall record. Though UHS’s first game of league was a disappointing loss, the game was a strong indicator of the Trojans’ potential. The boys are looking forward to a successful season.