Men’s Basketball Defeats Classical Academy
By Jacob Polacheck (’17)
The SDJA Lion’s Basketball Team reigned victorious in their league matchup against Classical Academy Friday with a dominant 62-38 win. The Lions are now undefeated in League Play with a 3-0 record, bringing their overall record to 9-10. “This was one of the greatest team wins in SDJA men’s basketball history,” said captain Jordan Battaglia (‘17).
Despite a score suggesting otherwise, this was a very contentious game, as the Lions didn’t begin to pull away until the third quarter. In the second quarter, Cody Brown (‘17) was hit in the head and was forced to the bench with an eye injury. However, after a few minutes, Brown was miraculously able to return to the game, as he said, “The game was too important to miss. Even with my black eye, I knew that I couldn’t sit out the rest of the game.”
As of now, the Lions are in a good position to claim their third consecutive league title. After splitting wins with Guajome Park this year, they are set to claim co-champion titles, contingent upon wins against the Rock Academy, Del Lago Academy and another against Classical Academy.
Last season, the Lions were forced to share a league championship with Guajome Park and the team is motivated to claim full control of the Ocean League. “Every game is a must-win” said Ben Newfield (‘19), “although it’s my first season with the Varsity team, this league title is important to each and every one of us,”
With an important upcoming final stretch, defeating league rival Classical Academy was a definite turning point in the season for the Lions. No matter what happens the rest of the season, the win against Classical Academy has been one of the memorable moments of the 2016-2017 Men’s Varsity Basketball season.
The Lions' Den 