BY JAMIE HAZEL
The 6-6 boys basketball team has racked up buzzer beaters and great defensive moments in the first half of the season. They have already improved upon their 4-8 start from last season, while blowing out opponents in their wins and hanging tight during losses, racking up a +63 point differential.
On December 14, the boys opened their season with a 44-42 win against rivals East Brunswick. Brandon Medel, who couldn’t play last season due to an injury, reclaimed his place on the court with a go-ahead bucket in the final two seconds to push the Knights ahead. “I feel like if our same team last year was put in that situation, we would’ve lost, so it shows how much we have matured and improved from last year,” explained sophomore Jaylen Jones.
Only two days later, they defeated another rival, Monroe, 51-44 in overtime. “The win against Monroe was huge since it was neck and neck going into overtime, and we didn’t allow the pressure to get to us,” explained junior Krish Patel, who had the most points with 20. “It was one competitive game from both sides, and we were able to walk away with the win.”
Opening 2-0, the team found the blueprint for a winning season. Senior Ehi Odion shares their secret, “The key to our success so far is being able to play together to be able to win close games.”
On December 19, the team dealt with their first loss against Piscataway. Patel, who leads the team with 162 points so far, led the high scoring game, netting 21 of the team’s 63 points, including three 3 pointers. “It was tough to play in an away gym for the 3rd game in a row, and we struggled early on but almost made a comeback towards the end of the game,” shared an optimistic Jones.
The team lost another close game on December 21 against St. Thomas Aquinas, falling 54-52. This shows clear improvement from last year when the Knights lost 83-41. “This year we are more experienced, and we have been working hard all offseason and it is paying off,” explained Medel.
Over winter break, the team played in the Husky Holiday Classic tournament and went 2-1, destroying Raritan 56-30 and Woodbridge 60-34 and losing to Sayreville. “We stayed motivated during holiday break by our team wanting to have a winning record,” senior Ehi Odion shared. “I feel we played our best we have played this year.”
On December 27, Old Bridge played Raritan. Although the boys did not play this team last year, they adjusted to their playing style and dominated on defense, “Our defensive intensity to start the game was amazing to have us in the lead by 22-2. It was a true team effort on both ends,” shared Patel.
The Sayreville game on December 28 finished with a close score of 55-53. Medel led the team in points with 15. “It will help us improve in late game situations that come down to the last shot,” shared Medel.
Bringing in another win to end the weekend, the boys defeated Woodbridge 60-34. While Woodbridge entered the game with a 4-2 record, the boys managed to play strong. Patel totaled 20 points, including a buzzer beater 3-point shot at the end of the first half. “They are one of the better teams that we have faced and at a point we were ahead almost 40 points,” stated Jones, who assisted on the buzzer beater.
On January 2, the team started 2024 with an unfortunate 58-40 loss against Colonia, who had a phenomenal 22-9 season last year and winning the NJSIAA Section 2, Group 3 Tournament. The fact that Old Bridge played so well against them marks a large accomplishment. “[The] game didn’t go how we wanted it to, but we still fought hard,” stated sophomore Michael Kvas, who led the team with 10 points.
Two days later, on Senior Night, or Ehi Night, the boys won another game. The only senior, Ehi Odion, got to celebrate his high school career, “It was great,” said Odion. “All my friends and family came to watch.”
The Knights won 51-38, and three freshmen even got some playing time. “It felt good getting that win not only because it was senior night but because a win is a win and they always feel good,” Kvas explained.
On January 6, the boys traveled to Metuchen to play St. Joseph and lost 46-43, and improvement over last year’s 67-45 loss. “We played an amazing game defensively, and we showed that when we learn how to finish games, we’re a team that no one wants to face come tournament time,” explained Balbuena, who had 10 points.
Yesterday, they played South Brunswick and won 63-32. Odion carried the team in points with 12, and freshman Brady Meyers and Victor Przepiora each added two 3-point shots. Jones, who added eight points, explained, “We did what we were supposed to and won the game by 30 points.”
The team will next play at home on Saturday, January 13 against East Brunswick at 11:30am. Be there!
Posted on 1/11/24
Photos by Aasmaa Damani and Kaylee Weingarten
Knight Life 