IRVINE- On the 31st of January, fans were shocked by the outcome of the nail-biter of a basketball game between Beckman and University High at the Uni High gym. Both teams held the crowd’s attention for the whole length of the game until finally, Beckman came out on top with a final score that was, in their opinion, a bit too close for comfort: 60-58.
The two teams were evenly matched as the game started, with both schools in possession of 17 points by the end of the first quarter. Uni High Trojans managed to take the lead early on in the second quarter thanks to some a variety of clever plays set up by the playmaker. The Beckman Patriots were also victims of sloppy passes due to miscommunication with their fellow teammates. Tae Kim, a center playing number 33, said admittedly, “We had a slow start.” Beckman could not match Uni’s momentum and fell behind by a deficit of three points by the end of the first half. “[In the beginning,] we didn’t execute as fully as we could have,” said Cho.
When Beckman came out of the locker room at the start of the second half, something was different about the players. When the buzzer indicated the start of the third quarter, the spectators also noticed the difference by the way the team played. “We didn’t want to go home with a loss. It sparked a fire in us,” said forward Shawn Cho, number 21.
Refueled and reenergized, the Patriots began dominating the quarter.
Beckman made a huge comeback and began scoring left and right. The Patriots were forcing turnovers and blocking shots. Kim had a very notable game on defense, with two turnovers, four steals, and seven rebounds. “Tae played exceptionally well on both offense and defense,” commented Cho. Bracy Simmons, guard, 20, played ferociously on offense and was the lead scorer for the Patriots, with 18 points and six field goals. Beckman gains the advantage by the end of the third quarter, 48-47.
The final quarter of the game could be appropriately renamed as “the proving ground,” because both teams and all players fought with all their heart for the win. The game was tied at 52 all with 2:44 still left on the clock. Cameron Biedgoly, a big forward, 23, gained a foul and put Beckman ahead with his two free throw points. The Trojans answered back immediately with a score of their own. Simmons managed to draw a foul with eight seconds left to play and sunk both of his two shots, giving Beckman a one- point lead, 59-58. However, Simmons was not finished with his free throws yet, as he gets fouled once more with four seconds left and swishes in another point for Beckman. After gaining the lead, it was a simple matter for the Patriots to run out the clock and celebrate.
Cheers and yells erupted as the whole gym seemed to thunder with the sound of applause. The team, however, felt, “Content with the win, but we could’ve played much better and secured a better win,” revealed Cho, “We had our ups and downs, but we were able to overcome.” Not wanting to finish games with such a close score difference again, the team plans to continue to practice and condition for more secure wins to achieve a great season.
Jay Choi
Jay Choi is a junior at Beckman High and a new editor for the Spring Semester. An avid musician, he enjoys playing the clarinet and saxophone and listening to all types of music. He spends his free time hanging out with his friends and playing improvised jazz solos. He hopes to make a positive contribution to JSR and looks forward to the semester.
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