Last night, the boys basketball team fell to Lawrence North (LN) in the first round of sectionals. The final score was 51-65. Boys basketball ends the season with a record of 15-9.
Coach Kevin Gant expressed confidence in the team’s spirit and strategy before the game; they had won two of the last three games.
“We’re feeling good,” Gant said, “I think we are loose. We are feeling good about our game plan. They are feeling good about each other.”
To the team, the game was important not only because of sectionals but also because LN is a member of the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) and a long-term rival of NC.
NC has failed to beat LN since the 2019-2020 season. Last season, the team fell short against LN in the first round of sectionals, losing 75-91. This season, NC lost to LN on January 12, 73-53, during MIC play and on January 19, 60-62, during the Marion County tournament.
“They are a great team,” Gant said, “Anytime you have got to play them, you have got to get yourself on board. The good thing is we are familiar; we know what to expect. When going into sectionals, it is always good to have some familiarity.”
The away student section reflected that rivalry, the NC-dedicated stands packed with students wearing their jerseys – yesterday’s theme – for the game.
Being a sectional game, Gant knew the team needed words of advice.
“I’m telling them to stay calm and loose,” Gant said.
The team took their coach’s advice to heart, ending the first quarter level with LN at 13-13. A hard-fought second quarter came with conflict between an expressive LN head coach Chris Griffin and the referees over fouls. NC trailed 21-25 at halftime.
Despite falling behind, the team’s hopes were still high.
“We’re only down four points,” Gant said, “We did not shoot the ball nearly as well as we are capable of. We are fortunate to be in this situation. Now we have got to go ahead and hopefully make more shots.”
Gant had only one piece of advice for the team as they entered the second half.
“Keep shooting,” Gant said.
NC failed to lead throughout the second half. The team kept the third quarter close, ending it 39-45.
Despite being behind, the student section maintained their energy. The crowd erupted at each NC play and LN failure; their support was glaring after LN’s two failed dunk attempts.
With the fourth quarter came the biggest gap in the score – 14 points – and increased fouls. As the gap in points increased, so did the team’s desperation. With a loss seemingly inevitable, the crowd slowly began to disperse.
By the final three minutes, senior Jaxson Bell had fouled out, forcing him to leave what ended up being his last high school game early. Both teams were in the bonus. With NC’s increased fouls, LN maintained their lead.
The game ended with junior Papi Rivera as NC’s leading scorer. The team was distraught, with players burying their faces into their jerseys.
“We never want this feeling again,” Gant said after the game, “It’s been two years in a row we’ve lost against this team, which I hope can be our fuel and motivation for next year.”
The team had two seniors. For them, the game marks the end of their participation in high school basketball.
“I felt bad for the seniors,” Gant said, “I thanked them for all the hard work they put in and how they led our team and fought every day.”
As for the returning players, Gant had a different message.
“I wanted to remind the young guys of this feeling,” Gant said, “I hope that next year we start solid and be better than we were this year. I hope we can send our seniors off with a championship or something similar.”
Despite the emotion of the end of the season, Gant recollected what made him most proud of the team.
“We’ve been resilient all year,” Gant said, “We never really gave up. We had tough times, but we kept fighting and fighting. We’ve shown we can play with anybody.”
As the players left the locker room, classmates and family greeted them to share their condolences. Many of them struggled to deal with the loss.
“This doesn’t feel real to me,” Rivera said, “I can’t explain it. I’ve loved being with this team every day. It’s tough to know that it is over.”
The feeling hit harder with the seniors.
“It sucks,” Bell said, “This was my last high school game ever. I love being around the guys; they make me feel good. I’m just glad to finish the season with these people.”
For returning players, the season’s end means the beginning of preparing for the next season.
“I’ll be hitting the gym and getting ready for my senior season,” Rivera said.
For seniors, the loss means approaching a new chapter – college.
“Now I need to prepare for next year,” Bell said, “I’ll be going to West Point for basketball.”
Despite the destination for the players – going to college or returning for next season – they experience the loss as a team.
“I’m proud of my teammates,” Rivera said, “They were always ready to work, always dedicated.”