For two weeks, the Bobcat varsity squad was unable to reign victorious. Their 2-0 league record fell to 2-4, but last night the skid ended. Sage Creek defeated the San Dieguito Academy Mustangs 57-42.

In a match that was close until the fourth quarter, Sage delivered a burst of energy that finally matched the roaring of its fans.

“The energy from the crowd was great. Whenever we are at home, we play like we are unstoppable,” senior and guard Bridger Hackworth remarked.

While the first half featured a plentiful supply of steals and some fast break baskets, the Bobcat offense was missing the very key that many players attributed to their previous losses: points. Despite an 11-11 tie to end the first quarter, SDA exploded on the offensive end of the floor and walked into halftime with a 27-20 lead.

“Most of our points were coming off of fast breaks and we weren’t really running our half court sets that well,” Hackworth said.

The second half was an entirely different story for the Bobcats who kicked it off with a 10-2 run to retake the lead. Point guard and senior, Xavier Allison blazed through the key and scored several contested buckets amounting to 12 points. In addition to running the floor for SC, the senior guard also made some dynamic passes inside to Nick Sonck who finished his night with 10 points. Allison’s other guard, freshman Jailen Nelson, had a similar story.

“X and I had a great connection with each other and the offense tonight. I don’t know how else to explain it,” Nelson stated.

Like his senior counterpart, Nelson tallied 12 points by splashing in three triples from beyond the arc. The freshman was also able to drop some dimes to his teammates, by finding senior forwards Teiyler Scott and Dylan Rossi down low. Scott finished with 10 points and Rossi contributed 5 in his quiet offensive night with Nelson. The team’s co-captain was certainly pleased with Nelson’s “massive” night.

“He’s been struggling in the past couple games, so this is a real nice bounce-back game for him. We’re going to need him to play a pivotal role when playoffs hit,” Rossi said.

The starting guards continued their relentless assault on the Mustang defense into the fourth quarter by continuing what would be a 37-15 second half montage.

“We knew we had to get the W. We want to keep our fans happy and we know [that] we can’t lose a game like that and expect them to come back,” Rossi expressed.

Rossi and the Bobcats made sure not to disappoint, as the crowd’s chant of “this is over” serenaded the Mustangs throughout the final minutes of the fourth. Despite attempts to foul, Sage Creek consistently knocked down free throws and walked away smiling when the buzzer sounded.

“Having [been] on a four game losing streak and seeing us go from 2-0 to 2-4, we needed [this] game for [the fans] to hit 3-4,” Rossi added.

Heading into Friday, the senior forward will be playing in his final Hoopcoming game and expressed not only his goal, but the future that awaits his team at the end of the season.

“Get a win. That’s our main goal. Go 4-4, go into Torrey, and then back [home] for the Carlsbad rivalry game,” Rossi said.

Throughout the losing stretch, the Bobcats averaged 43.3 point per game, while surrendering 54 per game. Last night, the defense locked down, got physical, blocked shots, and out hustled the SDA Mustangs.

“[This win] helps us a lot and really brings up our confidence to win the Hoopcoming game,” Nelson rejoiced.

Most seniors at SCHS have had the pleasure of enjoying three Hoopcoming games already, so when asked about his prospective desires for the upcoming game against Canyon Crest, I was stunned by the freshman’s simplistic reply.

“Have fun and hopefully have a great crowd. I’m just looking to be a great team player,” Nelson concluded.