JV Boys Basketball Loss at Seneca

With two key players out, the JV boys basketball team refused to lose confidence as they played on the defensive side for most of the game. They were met with disappointment after a loss against Seneca Valley Jan. 23, by 56-33.

The swift movement of the Rams at the start led to domination of the court in the first two minutes, but there was a quick turnover and Seneca Valley took control, scoring the first two points of the night.

“The biggest challenge for this game was the other team’s athleticism. We haven’t played a team like this in a long time; as athletic as they were,” JV coach Tanner Nelson said. “They were great rebounders, great athletes, great jumpers.”

The Rams quickly stepped up to the challenge and adjusted to defense in the second quarter. They used quick thinking and strategy so that they were ready when control of the ball shifted. However, their efforts failed; though they managed to bring the ball down the court multiple times, they lost it every time.

At the end of the second quarter, the Rams were down 37-11. Seneca Valley controlled the court in the third quarter, ending the quarter with a score of 52-15. This game contributed to their sixth loss of the season. They play Seneca Valley again Feb. 3, when they hope to have improved with what they learned.

“I think we won this game with great defensive pressure and ball movement on offense. We were able to play the game at the pace we want to,” Seneca Valley JV coach James Minturn said. “…This victory will help benefit the team because we have really stressed defense lately.”

With Seneca Valley up by almost 40 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter, an RHS win looked unlikely. Even though they didn’t win, the Rams came back, scoring 18 points for an end result of 56-33. Throughout the game, most of the points were scored by sophomore captain Roland Tandaju, with 13, and freshman Asa Hemenway, with nine.

From a player’s point of view, the team still has a lot to work on. “We didn’t do as we hoped because our preparation time wasn’t as strong,” freshman guard John Devanadera said. While Devanadera is out with an injury, he believes the team can come back “We’re not the biggest and strongest team out there, but we can get the job done,” he said.

“I think losses are where you really become a team and a better basketball player,” Nelson said.”I learned a lot about our resilience. When you get down 30 in a game, it’s easy to kind of roll over and give up….We’re going to compete until the end.”