Written by Bella Wise

As the winter weeks dwindle to a close, the Boys Varsity Basketball team continues to demonstrate their skill, perseverance, and teamwork in a series of competitive matchups. 

On Tuesday, January 4, RCDS traveled to Connecticut to face King in a thrilling game. The starting lineup consisted of Captain Lucius Liu ‘26, Captain Amir Hogans ‘26, Shamar Williams ‘25, Henry Kosann ‘27, and Caiden Howard ‘27.

The game began with King maintaining possession in the tip-off and scoring a 3-pointer in the first 30 seconds. However, the Wildcats quickly responded with a fast-break layup from Williams off an assist from Hogans. Shortly after, Howard passed Liu the ball at the top of the key, where Liu scored his first 3-pointer of the game. 

As the first half progressed, RCDS continued to build momentum both offensively and defensively. Liu stole the ball from a King player and dribbled to the other end of the court to score another 3-pointer. The Wildcats’ defense stepped up when Hogans had a pivotal block on a King layup. As King struggled to beat the shot clock, they hurriedly attempted a 3-pointer, which Hogans rebounded before assisting Liu with yet another 3-pointer. Despite these collaborative plays, the first half concluded with RCDS trailing 22-26.

The Wildcats came back in a nail-biting second half, chipping away at King’s lead. With 2:41 left on the clock, Hogans was fouled and scored 2 free throws, bringing the score to 49-50, RCDS losing by a mere point. The game’s final minutes were intense, with each team fighting for possession. With 33 seconds remaining, King called a timeout with a 53-51 advantage. As both teams had 7 fouls each, the stakes were high, and it was imperative for RCDS to not foul, as that would give King 2 free opportunities to score. 

With only seven seconds left, Hogans was fouled once again and made one of his free throws, leaving the final score 52-55 as King controlled possession for the remaining seconds until the buzzer timed out.

Captain Liu led the Wildcats with 26 points (seven three-pointers) and added four steals. Williams had 10 points and seven rebounds, while Kosann had 11 points and five rebounds. Captain Hogans also made an impact, finishing with 5 points, 9 assists, and 6 steals.

The following week, RCDS hosted rival Hackley for another close game. The Wildcats started strong with Hogans assisting Williams for a layup, putting 2 points on the board. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter, Howard found Williams under the basket for another layup, bringing the score to 15-16. However, Hackley pushed ahead as the quarter finished 18-15 in their favor.

The second quarter saw Hackley dominate offensively, outscoring RCDS 20-4 and extending their lead to 38-19 by halftime. Despite this difficulty, the Wildcats obtained a huge comeback in the second half. Kosann assisted Hogans for a 3-pointer, and later in the game, Hogans found Liu for another 3-pointer, closing the gap and making RCDS down 53-58 with just over 3 minutes left in the game. Sadly, Hackley maintained their lead, leaving RCDS falling short as the final score was 53-63.

Captain Liu led the Wildcats with 16 points, followed by Kosann with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Captain Hogans led with 7 assists and 11 points, while Williams also added 10 points.

In preparation for their upcoming games, the Wildcats have honed their endurance, communication, and skills in intense practices. A recent session began with running laps before transitioning into a drill called “Argentina Passing,” designed to strengthen long passes while maintaining high energy. During the 2-minute water break following the drill, Liu was found knocking down multiple 3s in a row – the guy takes no breaks! The team then moved into layup lines, aiming to make 30 layups in 3 minutes while the coaches used foam pads while standing in the paint to simulate pressure from the defense. In both rounds, the team exceeded expectations: the first round got 33 baskets, and 32 in the second. 

The practice continued with a 4v4 drill in which the offense remained stationary until they heard a whistle from the coaches, giving them the green light to go for the basket. The defense was exceptional as Williams and Adriel Appiah-Gyasi ‘26 secured key steals, while Teddy Cooper ‘25 set a screen to get Liu open for another 3-pointer. 

The Wildcats concluded practice with a scrimmage. Howard showed his skills on both ends of the court, stealing the ball for a fast-break layup, and later passing the ball from underneath the basket to Hogans, who quickly handed off the ball to George Zhan ‘27 for a three-pointer. Howard continued to play hard, grabbing another steal and passing the ball to Hogans for a layup. 

Through these rigorous practices and competitive games, the Wildcats aim to increase their win percentage and finish off the season strong.