The eyes of the crowd darted back and forth as the Varsity players scrambled to get the basketball and make it to the net. Shoes squeaked against the waxed floor while the echoing boom of the ball was lost in the cheers of the fans. Wagner led in points, only a few baskets ahead of MacArthur, but the boys hustled and charged managing to stay on their toes.
This was the first game in the playoff season for the boys basketball team and everyone was excited, considering it took a lot of effort to get to playoffs. The boys had to win four of the last five games they played or else the chance to get to playoffs would slip away. So the pressure was on, but they made it and faced the Wagner Thunderbirds last Tuesday at the Clemens High School Gym.
The leader in points was Matt Gramling with 15, equal to the Thunderbird’s leader, Theron Bray. Despite this, the first quarter was a trial as Wagner led with 15 points, Mac following with 9. The previous losses to Wagner in the past at playoffs kept the players on their toes, but by the time halftime came around, Wagner still kept a basket or two ahead with the score 26-20.
“We tried hard and pressed a lot,” sophomore Marcus Harris said. “I’m happy with the effort we gave.”
Even with all the effort MacArthur gave, Wagner brought home a victory with the final score of 49-41, though they never pulled more than eight points ahead. A communal sigh of defeat was shared by the crowd when the buzzer rang, and the Thunderbirds left victorious.
